Woods to Romance
by PlasticGore
Summary: Winter break has started and with that comes a whole new set of obstacles for our couples. From Jason finally returning home and dealing with the memory of his brother, to Weiss and Ruby heading to patch. As well as the reappearance of Jade's ex, its safe to say things are really getting interesting. New challenges and changes await our characters as they prepare for the festival.
1. Chapter 1: The New Arrival!

POV:Yang Xiao Long

Chapter 1: The New Arrival!

It was late in the morning when I woke up and reluctantly lifted my head from the pillow as to check if anyone else is awake. First I look across the room to Ruby and Weiss, expecting to see two empty beds surprisingly they are both out cold.

 _ **Rubes sleeping in later than me? I wonder what caused this?**_

I check below me to see if Blake is up since she is usually the first to be awake, but am surprised to find her asleep as well.

 _ **or at least I think she is asleep, kitty cat can be deceiving me…**_

With how sneaky and backhanded Blake can be I never really can make a solid decision one way or another on anything she does, but it's one of the things that make us such a good team!

I look over to the dresser that holds my digital clock which is in the corner of the room to the right of the window, behind the bunk bed Blake and i share. The time reads 10:30am i'm shocked that it's this late and i'm the only one awake!?

 _ **Did I miss a party or something?**_

I hop down from my bunk landing with a light thud on the floor hoping not to disturb the others slumber. I move over to the dresser Blake and I share and quickly pick out the clothes I want to wear for the day, I eventually settle on my usual outfit. I grab my clothes and dash into the bathroom to take my morning shower. I close and lock the door behind me as I enter walking over to the counter while I set my clothes down and look into the mirror to find myself (my hair especially) looking like a gigantic mess.

 _ **Well I guess it's a good thing no one else was awake…**_

Feeling some what self conscious now I quickly walk to the shower to start the water warming before I climb in, turning the two knobs that control the hot and cold settings of the water until I find the right balance of the two. When i'm happy with the temperature of the water I twist the third knob changing the flow of water to the shower head, then I climb in.

 _ **Hopefully this will help me wake up.**_

After getting myself drenched I grab the nearby bar of soap and start to lather myself up, starting at my upper body and working my way down to my ankles taking special care around my breasts and thighs. The water feels amazing and I am finally starting to come out of the sleepy daze that i've been stuck in sense I awoke about twenty minutes ago. When i'm finished I rinse off the soap and apply shampoo and conditioner to get my hair all nice and shiny and clean. Afterwards I step out of the shower grabbing my yellow and black towel off of its peg on the wall and proceed to dry myself off. When i'm dry I wrap the towel around myself and begin to brush out my flowing golden locks. Being extra careful to not miss a single knot or tangle. When satisfied with how it's looking I flare my aura to dry my hair, not wanting to risk using my blow dryer for it'll wake someone.

 _ **Look at me i'm so resourceful, And damn do I look good!**_

Now that my hair is taken care of I begin to get dressed nothing different from what I usually wear my bra and panties with my black short shorts, with brown belt keeping them up, along with my usual low cut yellow top and brown vest on top. Feeling pleased with how I look I blow myself a kiss in the mirror before stepping out the bathroom and into the main room of team RWBY's dorm, checking to see if all the team members are still asleep! I check the clock and see that it is just after 11 o'clock.

 _ **Seriously what is going on? They should be awake!**_

With the rest of my team currently dead to the world I see no other choice than to get something to eat, hopefully by the time I get back they'll be awake.

 _ **When they wake up does that make them...the walking dead? hehe good one Yang!**_

I move across the room quickly and quietly grabbing my scroll off of the dresser along with Ember Celica before moving back to the door opening it silently and stepping into the hallway while closing it behind me, making sure to keep the handle turned while it closes to keep it from generating any unwanted noise. As I turn around to start walking towards the cafeteria I run directly into an unfamiliar face well more accurately unfamiliar chest since he stands so much taller than myself.

I take a step back and have to tilt my head up to get a better look at him, he's very tall standing around 6'2" if I had to guess, towering over me by a whole 6 inches which causes me to have to look up even farther to see his face he has emerald green hair and eyes to match, he is wearing a white collared shirt with a blue blazer jacket over it. When I look down at his legs he appears to be wearing a pair of black baggy sweat pants with an emerald stripe to match his eyes and hair that don't seem to mesh well with his upper half in a fashion sense but he appears to be able to pull it off.

He also seems to have a pouch or satchel of some sort on his right hip or left from my perspective, on his feet simple black combat boots.

 _ **Who is this guy?**_

I look back to his face which holds a confident smirk.

 _ **And what the hell is he smirking at?**_

"Heh enjoying the view are ya? Well that makes two of us." he says in a confident tone of a deep and husky voice. I can feel my aura start to flair as I get angered at his comment.

 _ **Oh we got a smart ass...well time for his first lesson on who not to fuck with.**_

"Keep your eyes up bud" I say in a harsh tone, which seems ineffective considering his eyes continue to travel up and down the length of my body examining me. Only causing me to become more annoyed and somewhat flustered.

 _ **Is he really checking me right now? He definitely doesn't know who he's dealing with.**_

"Do you even know who I am?" I ask in a growl to rival the one of a beowulf. Even then it seems like a waste of breath because he responds in the same laid back deep voice he had before.

"Unfortunately not i'm afraid, you see I am quite new here infact just got here yesterday. The names Jason Vidar pleasure to meet you." After hearing this I start to calm down realizing he actually has no clue of me or my reputation. He then extends a hand out towards me for a handshake.

 _ **Oh he must be the new guy who transferred from atlas yesterday, I heard rumor a new guy was coming. Why was he in team JNPR's room?**_

I take his hand and give it a firm shake giving him a small taste of my strength, but he remains unfazed which is impressive considering how hard I squeezed his hand. "Im Yang, likewise."

"So" I continue "I take it that you must be the new transfer student from Atlas?"

"Yeah thats me, I see that news travels fast around here."

 _ **Ah I was right, I wonder what makes this guy so special that he moved all the way to Beacon? in the middle of the year no less.**_

"Yeah it tends to do that, but of course it's not every day someone transfers all the way from Atlas."

"Thats fair enough I suppose" he says while turning his attention away from me and back to the door he just came out of. At that moment I hear him make a sharp whistling noise to the inside of inside the dorm room

My curiosity is quickly put to rest when a large wolf walks out of the slightly open door of team JNPR's dorm room.

 _ **What the!? Why the hell does he have a wolf with him?**_

It's a large wolf mostly black with a peppering of grey in his coat with a collar that seems to match what appears to be his master's favorite color, with his red eyes focused entirely on me, the stranger talking to his master. When the wolf is fully out of the room and sitting next to his master's feet he closes the door the same way I did earlier to keep from waking anyone.

He must have noticed the look of confusion on my face because he immediately begins to explain "Oh where are my manners this is my companion Gore...And Gore this is Yang she is from across the hall." The large wolf dips his head slightly at me as if to acknowledge my presence but never moves his eyes, still uncertain of this stranger he's meeting for the first time.

Jason seems unbothered by the uneasiness of his companion, turning himself to look back to me "Also I have a small favor to ask of you Yang, I was thinking of getting some grub. Although I have to admit I don't quite know the way being new here and all. Could you possibly show me around the school I wasn't really given a tour yesterday?"

 _ **Perfect this will be great! I get to have the first crack at him, let me see what I can learn.**_

"Sure" I say in my usual happy, and upbeat tone. "Sorry about how I acted earlier I have a reputation for anger." he just shakes his head dismissing my explanation, and leans down to scratch Gore behind the ear which causes his tail to wag like a normal domestic dog.

 _ **He's obviously well trained I wonder what the story is between these two?**_

As we begin walking down the hall towards the cafeteria my curiosity gets the best of me and I have to ask the question that's been nagging at me ever since Jason introduced me to Gore.

"So how did you two end up together? You and Gore I mean." In response to hearing his name Gore raises his head and looks at me but remains silent as he continues to follow us to the end of the hall and down the stairs.

"That's actually an odd story, I grew up in a small village about a mile outside of Atlas. We mainly hunted to provide for ourselves, one day the group of hunters that I usually work with came upon him in the snow he was hurt pretty bad. I picked him up and took him back to my house in the village where I fixed him up and nursed him back to health and when he was back up to 100% I started training him we have been friends ever since."

 _ **So he saved Gore when he was a pup and raised him… hmm he can't be that bad then.**_

The rest of our short journey to the cafeteria is relatively uneventful, I show Jason briefly around the campus showing him the fountain and the locations of the classrooms and such as we roam around Gore follows silently and obediently. I still feel a little uneasy around the wolf but im sure ill get used to it the more he's around. When we finally make it to the cafeteria it's noon meaning the short tour only ended up taking an hour.

As we enter the food line I notice that it is about time for lunch to start being served. The new lunch items on the menu today appear to be a choice between pizza, burgers, or some sort of salad looking thing. Of course I instantly grab the pizza it being my best option, Jason goes for the burger grabbing two and then also grabbing a slice of pizza and a can of cola.

 _ **Well he has quite the appetite...**_

We find a place to sit down, sitting looking at each other with his back to the door and me facing it. As we sit down and start eating I am surprised to see him actually cut one of his burgers into pieces before eating it.

 _ **Who cuts up their burger?... Wait a second**_

I peek under the table to see Gore with his head in his master's lap eating the pieces of burger Jason is slipping under the table to him.

"You could get into trouble for that you know." I say as I hear Gore devourer another piece of burger.

"Yeah I know" he says in his usual relaxed tone.

"Then why did you risk bringing him in?" I ask with a slight bit of concern in my tone, I would hate to see Jason get into trouble on only his second day at beacon.

"While I do find your concern for Gore and me really adorable...I don't care" he says rather flatly. "Gore and I go everywhere together. We eat together, we sleep together, and we fight together that isn't going to change just because we came to beacon."

 _ **Who is he calling adorable, he's been here a day and he is already pushing my buttons**_

My aura must have flared at his comment because Jason raises his finger and points at me and says in between bits of his own burger.

"Im guessing thats something you do when someone pisses you off"

"Oh good guess genius, have you forgotten what happened earlier in the hall?" I say in a rather harsh tone. But yet again Jason is quick to counter.

"Yeah it's kinda hard to forget when a pretty girl such as yourself checks you out." he says in that confident tone of his with a large smirk across his face.

 _ **Why you little shit…**_

His comment makes me feel a large range of emotions, anger being the main one as usual but also being mixed with some other feelings that I can't quite place. But in true Yang fashion I let anger take hold, my aura flaring again much stronger this time. It still has no effect on Jason it would seem as he just quietly takes a long sip of his cola, when he's finished he puts the can down looks me straight in the eyes and says

"Is it getting hot in here or is it just me" That large smirk of his reappearing on his lips

 _ **Its official i'm gonna kill him!**_

I stand up from the table my aura flaring, my lilac eyes already gaining a red tint to them when suddenly I am surprised to hear the voice of professor Ozpin behind me causing me to immediately turn around to face him.

 _ **uh-oh...**_

"Well I can see you are already becoming acquainted with our new arrival Ms. Xiao Long, you waste no time i'll give you that." He pauses to take a sip from his coffee cup before continuing "although I don't believe that the cafeteria is the proper place for this, perhaps if you wish to challenge Mr. Vidar you should do it in the sparring arena. It's a much more fitting place for a fight.

 _ **Ok...not what I was expecting to hear.**_

I nod acknowledging his words, the professor looks down and notices Gore's head pop out from under the table to investigate the new voice. I then watch as the professor without saying a word leans down and scratches Gore behind his left ear which causes him to wag his tail much to the surprise to Jason and myself.

 _ **I didn't dare go near Gore at all and Ozpin just walks up and pets him no problem.**_

When Ozpin is done he turns and starts walking away but as he walks he stops to turn and face Jason "Oh and Mr. Vidar-"

 _ **Oh here it comes**_

"Next time you have Gore accompany you to the cafeteria make sure you bring him some proper food while it is kind of you to share your meal with your companion burgers are hardly the proper food for wolves. Oh and I suggest that you meet me in the sparring arena when you are done here, with all the equipment that you will need for a match. Ms. Xiao Long you will be helping Glynda and myself evaluate Mr. Vidar here." And with that Ozpin turns takes another sip from his coffee cup and disappears from the cafeteria.

 _ **So I guess i'm gonna get to see Jason fight after all…**_

* * *

 _ **Ok so hey guys this is my first ever attempt at a fanfiction, so if you guys have any recommendations on how I can make it even better for you all please feel free to let me know. :D Also if you do like it be sure to follow the story, I plan on making a lot more chapters so you'll want to know when they are coming out, i've got a lot of great ideas for this series and want to keep it going for a while! And lastly the series will have a cover image at some point just got delayed and wanted to get this first chapter up sooner rather than later!**_

 _ **Thanks again guys and ill see you next time =D**_


	2. Chapter 2: A Fight to Remember!

POV: Jason Vidar

Chapter 2: A Fight to Remember!

Blood, blood is all you see, all you smell, It's drowning, it's suffocating. Jason's eyes shoot open to a snow covered clearing the white snow is dyed red in blood and black in death. Grimm bodies littered the ground beowulf upon beowulf all circling and surrounding a small boy.

I can only watch from my perch on top of a tree, frozen with fear as I watch my little brother try to defend himself against a pack of beowolves. But he is too small and weak, the beowulf's easily overpower him knocking him to the ground before moving in for the kill the beowulf's lunge for his throat I here a long defining scream, then nothing.

I wake up from my nightmare with a jolt, i've broken out into a cold sweat during my nightmare causing me to shudder when the air chills the sweat. I look down to see Gore's head on my chest staring at me with concern in his red eyes silent but ever watchful. I rub his head and scratch his ear to let him know i've calmed down and am back to my usual self I prop myself up on my elbows, making sure not to make any unwanted noise. What time is it?

 _ **Glad to know somethings never change…**_

I glance at the clock across the room, it reads 10:45am

 _ **Later than I usually sleep til, why didn't Gore wake me like usual?**_

I glance down at my companion and give him a questioning look, as if he knows what i'm thinking he buries his head in my blanket to hide from my gaze.

"You had one job Gore" I whisper quietly earning a quiet whine from the wolf.

 _ **I guess I should shower, don't want to give a wrong impression on my first real day.**_

The thought of being branded as that stinky guy from Atlas doesn't sit well with me…

I stand up working my way around the bed frame until finally finding my suitcase at the foot of the bed, it's a small suitcase nothing special all black with green around the edges. Upon finding the case I seat myself on the edge of the bed before opening it in order to pick out my clothes for the day. Once I have my clothes I close the suitcase and carefully place it back where it was and stumble my way through the poorly lit dorm room to find the bathroom, Gore following me closely the whole way.

 _ **He must still be nervous in these new surroundings if he's acting like this.**_

When I finally manage to get to the bathroom I walk in setting my clothes down on the counter to my left, taking a quick look in the mirror I notice just how exhausted I look.

 _ **The long trip getting here really didn't do me any favors.**_

I then turn realizing that Gore has followed me into the bathroom

"You've got to be kidding me dude, wait outside! Guard like usual." I whisper the command softly but my companion hears it, and reluctantly makes his way out of the bathroom before sitting down just past the door frame. After he is out I close and lock the door before starting the shower and climbing in, making quick but thorough work of cleaning making sure to wash myself entirely from the neck down before moving onto my hair which gets a quick shot of soap and a good lather before rinsing off entirely and drying myself with a towel I found on the nearby peg on the wall. The towel I decided to borrow is a black towel with a symbol in the center resembling a lotus blossom in pink.

 _ **Hope they don't mind.**_

When i'm dry I place the towel back where I found it before I dress myself, going with my usual attire the white collared shirt that is tucked into a pair of black baggy sweat pants with a green stripe. Over my shirt I slip on my blue blazer before attaching my leather satchel to my waist leaving it to hang over my right hip. And finally slipping on my black combat boots and lacing them tight. With one last look in the mirror i'm satisfied with how I look and decide that it's time to get something to eat.

 _ **To bad I have absolutely no idea where to go to get food….eh whatever ill wing it.**_

I open the door to the bathroom Gore turning to face me the moment the door opens, I then head to the front door just before I open the door I realize something that makes me pause for a moment.

 _ **Maybe I should check the hallway first seeing how Gore has been acting lately.**_

I whisper the command to stay to my companion as I crack the door stepping out into the hallway. I look to my left and right seeing that no one is around as I start to turn back to the door I just exited when i'm surprised to have someone collide with me their head slamming into my chest. I look down to see a very attractive girl dressed in yellow and black.

 _ **Well this morning just got interesting.**_

She takes a step back and scans her eyes over me saying nothing, presumably examining me and trying to figure out who I am. While I myself am distracted by the low cut yellow shirt she is wearing.

 _ **Keep your head straight dammit, say something witty impress her!**_

I finally compose myself enough to say something "Heh enjoying the view are ya? Well that makes two of us."

 _ **Good job jackass now you sound like an asshole!**_

Well that didn't go how I had planned, she is clearly irritated at my semi rude comment and I can see her eyes begin to take on a faint shade of red. I quickly become distracted again by cleavage and continue staring at this amazing girl. "Keep your eyes up bud" I hear her shout in a harsh tone. Her comment falls on deaf ears as i continue to stare.

 _ **Get yourself together, This is just pathetic!**_

I snap out of my trance, she is really annoyed at this point "Do you even know who I am!" She growls angrily at me. Those lilac eyes of hers becoming an even darker shade of red.

 _ **ugh...gotta think of something to say, oh I got it.**_

I compose myself and respond, "Unfortunately not i'm afraid, you see I am quite new here infact just got here yesterday. The names Jason Vidar pleasure to meet you." I even impress myself with how well the sentence came out. This seems to calm her down and her eyes fade back to normal that beautiful shade of lilac.

 _ **Thank god I thought she was gonna kill me.**_

I reach my hand out for her to shake, in an attempt to defuse any remaining tension. She grabs my hand and shakes it firmly obviously as a show of her strength, little does she know i've had worse "Im Yang, likewise."

 _ **Yang hmm interesting name.**_

"So I take it that you must be the new transfer student from Atlas?"

 _ **Word travels fast here, i'll have to make note of that.**_

"Yeah thats me, I see that news travels fast around here." I say in my normal laid back tone, feeling a little more comfortable now.

"Yeah it tends to do that, but of course it's not every day someone transfers all the way from Atlas."

"Thats fair enough I suppose" I say as I start to turn back to the dorm room door to let Gore out, whistling quietly but sharply into the room. Not long after my whistle Gore walks out of the room and sits next to my feet I close the door behind him, then he notices Yang standing there and devotes all of his attention to her not being sure if she is to be treated as a friend or a foe. As Gore stares at Yang I notice that she doesn't seem to be afraid but more curious, surprising.

"Oh where are my manners this is my companion Gore...And Gore this is Yang she is from across the hall." Gore dips his head at his introduction though never taking his eyes off of Yang.

 _ **Oh maybe she can show me where to get food! Ok play it cool.**_

"Also I have a small favor to ask of you Yang, I was thinking of getting some grub. Although I have to admit I don't quite know the way being new here and all. Could you possibly show me around the school I wasn't really given a tour yesterday?" Perfect.

"Sure, Sorry about how I acted earlier I have a reputation for anger." I hold my hand up to silence her while simultaneously shaking my head gently side to side. I then lean down and give Gore a scratch behind the ear as a signal to calm down which causes his tail to wag. We begin walking down the hall headed to the cafeteria.

 _ **Well it's a good first day so far, hopefully it stays that way…**_

 _ ****Several Hours Later in the Sparring arena****_

Yang and I are standing on opposite ends of the arena facing each other both in combat gear. Yang's just being her usual clothes it doesn't seem her style to wear armour, I on the other hand have opted to wear my chest piece and helmet. It isn't anything spectacular with the chestpiece just being fully green and the helmet being black, but it does its job giving me some extra defense especially from melee attacks. Although i'm not certain about what it'll be able to do against Yang...

We both have our weapons drawn my own Forest Caliber, the spear and dart gun hybrid already extended to its full length with the blunt end at my left hip with the tip of the spear pointed at Yang. In addition to Forest Caliber I also have my secret weapon but I dont think ill need it, I have my right hand forward along with my right foot which causes me to be turned slightly making me less of a target for ranged combat. Nothing left for me to do but wait for the match to begin. Yang on the opposite side of me with her weapon Ember Celica, I haven't gotten a good look at it yet but the weapon appears to be a set of gauntlets with some sort of projectile launching capability. But it makes no difference i'll be winning this fight either way.

 _ **Or at least I hope...**_

As confident as I am with my combat abilities I am facing an opponent that I know almost nothing about, from our earlier discussion in the cafeteria i've figured out that her rage has something to do with her aura and her strength but have nothing else to go on. If I can manage to avoid being hit by her initial barrages I should be able to whittle her down bit by bit with little to no damage to myself.

 _ **I need to play this defensively**_

Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch are monitoring the fight from the stands, a screen in front of the two of them displaying both Yang and I's aura levels. "Are both fighters ready?" Glynda's voice comes over the speaker. Yang and I both nod, "Then you may begin" the voice echoes.

Yang charges me, her hands raised in what seems to me to be a boxing stance. I quickly side step to avoid her attack, bringing my spear up blocking her adjusted punch with ease. Now that her momentum shift has left her off balance I take advantage, quickly adjusting my stance switching my left foot forward and bringing the blunt end of my spear from my hip and bringing it around sweeping Yang's feet out from under her. The blond girl lands hard on her back, I take the opportunity to back away from Yang as she is getting up giving myself room to prepare for her next attack. I do so by resetting my stance, moving my right foot making it the lead again.

When Yang is back on her feet I notice that her eyes are now a light shade of red signaling her distaste for my last move. She hesitates to charge again, choosing to instead move in slowly staying out of the range of my spear but close enough a short lunge will bring her within striking distance of me. I watch her closely watching her every move closely while trying to predict when she will decide to make her next move, the answer not long because seconds later she lunges throwing a powerful left hook, I manage to block it though just barely. Brushing her fist off with the tip end of my spear I notice that Yang has left her midsection exposed, I seize the opportunity putting the full force of my left arm into the strike I slam the blunt end of my spear into Yang's left thigh connecting perfectly to her exposed side causing her to produce a loud cry of pain.

Not wanting to get greedy I lung backwards putting a fair amount of space between the blond boxer and myself, yet again resetting my stance. When Yang's eyes come back to me they are a dark red with no trace of her usual lilac color to be seen, I can also feel the heat radiating from her aura being flared.

 _ **Staying at range is probably my best option now**_

Knowing that getting in range of Yang's attacks now is probably a fatal mistake I decide to switch my weapon to its ranged mode. I break Forest Caliber down into its range mode by pressing a button about two feet down from the tip of the weapon and twisting this action releases the head of the spear, which becomes a makeshift dagger that I quickly clip to my right hip just above my ammo pouch. This at the same time exposes the barrel to the modified dart gun that is hiding underneath. It is designed to fire small darts that have been modified to carry a decent amount of dust, that depending on the color of the dust have different effects on the target and environment. The whole process of changing the weapon mode takes about four seconds from start to finish, since I now am in ranged mode I switch my weapon from my right hand to my left since I prefer to have my right hand be the one to reload the weapon.

I now stand with the dart rifle level pointed at yang, with my right hand I reach down to my ammo pouch that is at my hip and grab a blue dart the blue color that I hand painted onto it symbolizing that this particular dart is filled with white dust. I load the blue dart into the rifle and chamber it, I am now ready to fire. Yang who has still been skittish to attack again after being punished for her last two attempts begins to charge me yet again but this time at a slower pace presumably so that if I dodge again she won't be left off balance like before, but dodging isn't my intention well at least not yet anyway. When yang is within ten feet of me I lower the barrel of the rifle and fire the dart at the ground when it makes contact it detonates causing the surrounding area to be covered in a thin layer of ice. Sadly my plan doesn't go the way I was expecting her aura is too hot the ice melts when she steps on it

 _ **Oh shit...well time for plan B**_

I jump to the left and roll when I land to help give me the extra separation between myself and the now furious Yang, after I recover from my role turning around to be able to see my opponent. I hear a click but before I can place it I am immediately blasted by yang's gauntlets.

 _ **Well I guess its a shotgun hybrid.**_

Then i'm flying backwards towards the other end of the room before slamming into the floor, I get back to my feet fairly quickly stumbling slightly when I stand but it seems that my chestpiece took the brunt of the shot. So besides a bruised rib or two I'm ok, or at least I think. I raise my weapon and with my right hand reach for another dart a red one this time loading it and chambering the round in, before leveling the rifle and putting my target in between the sights. Yang is coming at me again making up for the distance her shot flung me, very quickly closing the gap from 20 feet to 15 in less than a second. I pull the trigger, the dart traveling towards its target. Time seems to slow down as I watch the dart fly, it closes the remaining distance in a half a second before the tip of the dart connects with yang hitting her directly on her right thigh exploding on impact blowing her off balance. Exactly where I wanted it to, she cries out in pain before falling to her knees...Yang now having both of her hip joints badly hurt her mobility is shot and she has no chance of winning this match.

 _ **It's time to end this…**_

I change Forest Caliber back to its melee form adjusting my hands and feet to match my usual melee stance before moving up to her. I put the spear tip inches away from her throat a signal to surrender, unfortunately Yang is stubborn and tries to stand her legs buckling slightly but she forces herself up.

 _ **Yang please…**_

I feel awful, I like Yang at least so far she's very hard headed and overly confident but there is something else there something that makes me feel horrible seeing her like this.

"Yang it's over just give it up, please." I manage in my usual tone, not showing my true emotions that are currently filling my mind, it's killing me inside to see her like this. But I have no clue why I am feeling like this, i've only known this girl for a total of a few hours but my emotions are fucking with me hardcore.

 _ **God I hate feelings**_

"I know you haven't known me that long but I never give up." Her tone is flat showing no emotion, but her face is nothing but serious. I hesitate but knowing I have no other option I bring my spear back up, I swing the blunt end of my weapon around connecting with the side of her head knocking her unconscious on contact. I channel my aura into my weapon causing it to retract down to about a two foot length and sling it over my left shoulder, before lowering myself down to my knees and removing my helmet my emerald hair now exposed.

I set the helmet on the floor near Yang's head, I feel like i'm going crazy my emotions running rampant everything is becoming a blur i've lost track of what's happening Gore is next to me now I lean against him putting my arm around my companion now realizing that my chest hurts a lot more than I had noticed before. Everything is engulfed in a blinding light I feel myself fall and then there is nothing but darkness.

 _ **One hell of a first day...**_

* * *

 **Hey guys hell of a chapter huh? Like I said before on the first chapter please review and send me any ideas or suggestions you have that would make the series better for you guys =D Also on another note I would like to talk about my upload schedule i'm thinking that you guys can start to expect these chapters on a weekly basis with Wednesday being the day I upload. Mostly because its the middle of the week and such so yeah as always guys hope you enjoyed! PS. ill do a proper thing for this later but special thanks to my friends Jash814 and Heimdall112 they have been so great helping me proofread and make sure that the chapters I produce are the best they can be!**


	3. Chapter 3: Wait What?

POV: Blake Belladonna

Chapter 3: Wait what?

As we approach the entrance to the sparring arena I am curious as to why Yang's message was so enthusiastic in coming to watch this sparring match with the new transfer student, Yang has probably had hundreds of sparring matches in her time at Beacon but hasn't shown any interest in having us spectate. I don't know why but something about this sudden interest in us being there to see the match makes me uneasy and curious.

I don't vocalize my thoughts for fear of upsetting Ruby so I do my best to put them out of my mind, As we enter the doors to the sparring arena and approach the ring my fears are realized.

There is a team of medics on the arena floor, moving Yang who appears to be just waking up from unconsciousness onto a stretcher. At the same time another team of medics are preparing to move someone else I don't recognize, he is on a stretcher being lifted and hastily moved out of the arena, to the infirmary more than likely.

 _ **I bet this is Yang's doing but why was she unconscious?**_

As the medics bring the unconscious fighter past I notice that the bright green chestpiece that he is wearing has a large scorch mark on it. As the medics move past us I notice a large black and grey wolf is following closely behind, making me jump back as my faunus instinct kicks in.

 _ **What the hell is that thing doing here!**_

"Oh no, Yang" I hear Ruby say from off to my left, then there is a flurry of rose petals as she uses her semblance appearing again at her sister's side giving her a big hug. Weiss and I are not far behind running after Ruby, who is hugging her sister tightly before Yang pulls her off reassuring her that she is fine.

At first glance Yang isn't badly hurt but a closer look reveals a large bruise on the lower part of her left leg and a matching bruise on her right leg in almost the same place as the left but a little higher, she also has a wound on the left side of her head that was bleeding at some point because her golden locks have been slightly covered by blood but has since been stopped by a gauze bandage.

Before I can question her about what happened with her match one of the medics interrupts, "Sorry to interrupt but we gotta take her to the infirmary to get checked out." The medics move to pick her up, but before they can she stops them "I can walk damnit" she stands forcing herself up.

 _ **Yang as usual it would seem.**_

As we follow the medics back to the infirmary I sneak glances at the new guy who is being transported just ahead on a stretcher just in front of us. He is very tall probably around 6'1 or 6'2 if I had to guess, very muscular and fit with a tattoo of what appears to be a wolf clutching a spear high on his right bicep. He's pretty good looking in honesty, with his tattoos and his big arms.

Our way to the infirmary is uneventful the medics walking with Yang as she goes, she is visibly annoyed at their determination to help her.

Even being injured how she is Yang refuses any help anyone offers even from Ruby which in itself is surprising. As we walk I notice that Yang is doing the same thing I was every so often looking over at the new guy.

 _ **There's something about that look, does she feel bad about this?**_

When we arrive at the infirmary the medics lead Yang to the examination room where a doctor meets us, he is a large man who doesn't look surprised in the slightest to see Yang

"Ah Ms. Xiao Long good to see you again, what is it this time?" he says in a jolly tone

"Oh nothing too bad doc just a little banged up is all, Medics said I needed to get checked out before I could go."

He rolls his eyes "Very well then let's have a look shall we, I swear you are here more than anyone else in this school" he chuckles

The doctor examines Yang taking note of her injuries on his clipboard, probably to add to her giant medical file. When he's finished with his observation he changes out Yang's old gauze bandage for a fresh one and sends us on our way. We leave the infirmary and head back to our dorm room I use my scroll to unlock the door opening the door to let everyone in. Yang sits down on my bed and I sit next to her, Weiss and Ruby deciding to sit on the lower bunk across from us that belongs to Weiss.

it's probably a good time to talk to Yang about what just happened, but with Ruby here there is no way that I will get the whole story, so I start thinking of any excuse to get rid of the two of them. "Why don't you two go ahead and get some food or something i'll take care of Yang." Ruby is about to object but Weiss grabs her by her hood and drags her up,

"Come on dolt, i'm starving" Weiss complains as she drags Ruby away.

 _ **Thank god for Weiss.**_

After the two of them leave I decide it's time to ask, "So what happened I wanna know all the details, who was that guy, what happened?." Yang sigh's before beginning to explain

"So this morning when I woke up no one else was awake yet so I took a shower and did my usual routine, then I decided to go get some breakfast so I walked into the hall and ran into Jason. He's the new transfer guy from Atlas, you know the one we heard all the rumors about."

I nod my head in acknowledgement, signaling for Yang to continue. "When I ran into Jason we started talking about him and his companion Gore, the big wolf that was with him. Then he says he wants to go get some food, I go with him and we are eating whatever and he is being a smart ass and we are argueing. Then Ozpin comes over and stops us saying that they are gonna evaluate the new student Jason and i'm gonna help him and Glynda do it."

"Seems like a cruel punishment" I laugh, Yang looking unamused "Ok sorry, bad time, continue."

She continues where she left off "So we went to the arena, got our weapons and Jason put on his armour and the match started. It was a normal fight I would charge he would counter but something was different it seemed like I was holding back I… I don't know."

There is something different about Yang's tone when she speaks about this guy, she seems to adopt a new tone rivaling her usual happiness.

 _ **It seems Yang has a new love interest.**_

Surprising she hasn't show any real interest in any guy's recently, I have to say he isn't bad looking. Yang is obviously still upset from what occurred today, she is just sitting with her knees to her chest leaning against the wall behind her staring into the distance. Obviously the whole situation is still eating away at her then suddenly she stands an annonces

"I'm gonna go check on Jason." But before I have time to say a word she is out the door running to the infirmary.

Well it seems her mind was made up and I don't think anything I could have said would have changed that, well I suppose I have some time to read _Ninjas of Love_ at least. After all this is a purrfect way to spend an afternoon.

 _ **Wow I've really been spending too much time around Yang.**_

* * *

 **Hello everyone ok so I'll start this author's note by saying I do apologize for the shorter chapter length(only around 1400 words before author's note) I did this for two reasons. First i'm currently just finishing finals at school and starting my new classes so i'm very busy currently, it shouldn't affect my usual wednesday uploads but it is affecting my writing time. The second being i've been catching up on my lost sleep from studying for said finals which means that I have been going to bed earlier than usual, and since I do most of my writing at night its been cutting into that time as well.**

 **But i do promise that the next chapter will be longer and may be put out maybe even a little earlier than next wednesday! =D**

 **Ok now that i've gotten that out of the way id would like to thank you all for reading! This story has hit 400 views which I know isn't a ton but this being my first Fanfic attempt I am really proud of that, and have you guys to thank for it :) So please leave reviews so that I can continue to make this series better for all you readers out there, and if you've got something you'd like to see happen or any other ideas send those my way too.**

 **So yeah that's it for now guys follow myself and the story for the newest chapters! Hope you enjoyed, and ill see you all next week(Or sooner who knows ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: An unexpected Interaction

POV: Ruby Rose

Chapter 4: An unexpected Interaction.

"Why don't you two go ahead and get some food or something i'll take care of Yang." Blake says in her usual calm tone like nothing has happened, which is still amazing to me. I am about to protest leaving my sister, especially in the state of mind that she is currently in i've never really seen Yang act like this before and I am worried by it.

Suddenly I am being lifted up by my hood I stand and turn to see that it is none other than Weiss, she takes my hand and starts to lead me from the room saying, "Come on dolt, i'm starving." Everything that I was worried about suddenly seems to disappear.

 _ **What was I thinking about again? Ohmygosh she's holding my hand!**_

The touch of Weiss's hand in mine is all I can seem to think about my mind is hazy, my heart is beating out of my chest I follow her blindly into the hallway. The door closes behind us as we leave and Weiss and I are now alone in the hallway, I am still being lead down the hall by Weiss lost in my little trance. I have had feelings for Weiss since my first day at Beacon Academy which is also the day that I got my unfortunate nickname _Crater Face_ because of the events that unfolded but I think it was balanced by the fact of meeting one of the most amazing girls in the world!

 _ **I need to confess my feelings soon even if she doesn't return my feelings it has to better than this.**_

"Ruby...you ok?" Weiss asks in a concerned tone as she looks at me.

"Oh yeah i'm….i'm fine just lost in thought is all" I smile nervously scratching the back of my head with my free hand since Weiss is still holding the other one.

 _ **Why is she still holding my hand? Not that i'm complaining or anything but still.**_

"Umm Weiss… were still holding hands." Weiss's face turns from concern to embarrassment as she glances down at our still interlocked hands and then back up to my face quickly breaking the connection before speaking again, "Oh uhh sorry I...forgot." She laughs nervously and shifts her gaze to her shuffling feet her cheeks beginning to redden.

 _ **Why is Weiss so nervous, does she have feelings for me too?**_

My mind again starts to wonder at this new thought, could it be true? "Well I guess we should go get our food then." Weiss says as her hand grips mine once again I get a chill that runs up my arm and down my spine, again my imagination shifting into overdrive. Weiss starts walking down the hall pulling me behind her, but as she starts to walk I am caught off balance causing me to trip over my own feet falling into Weiss and effectively knocking us both to the ground with myself landing on top pinning Weiss underneath me. I am sitting on top of the older girl staring straight into the beautiful icy blue eyes she possess, our faces only a mere inch apart.

 _ **uhh...what do I do now, oh forget it i'm going for it.**_

Our lips meet for a very brief moment only a few seconds, before I pull back and look into Weiss's amazingly beautiful icy blue eyes yet again. We are both sharing the same look of equal parts confusion and embarrassment neither of us fully sure of who initiated the brief lip lock the two of us just shared.

 _ **Did she move in on me or did I move in on her? I'm so confused!**_

The situation becomes awkward fairly quickly when we realize what just happened and that I am still sitting on top of Weiss in the middle of the dorm hallway. I quickly get up and offer a hand to Weiss which she accepts and we both exchange another look before Weiss finally is the first to speak.

"Well...I guess we should go get that food now." I quickly agree and we begin walking again, Weiss takes my hand and leads me once again towards the cafeteria. The walk is quick and very unfortunately silent neither of us saying a word about what had just happened, my mind is still a haze of emotions and thoughts as we enter the cafeteria and enter the food line.

The line is short considering the time of day being somewhere between one and two o'clock in the afternoon so just after lunch but falling in between lunch and dinner. Weiss and I grab our food with my choice being the pizza because it's pizza and two cartons of milk to complete the meal, and with Weiss being the healthy person that she is grabs what seems to be a caesar salad as well as a bottle of water.

 _ **Weiss and her health food I will never understand how she lives on salad alone.**_

After we get our food we find a empty table, Weiss sits on one side and I sit across from her we sit silently for a few minutes eating our food, but the only thing on my mind is what does this kiss mean? Does she share similar feelings to mine, eventually I cant take not knowing any longer so I decide it's time to ask.

"Weiss... what just happened between us? What does it mean?" Weiss blushes furiously at the mention of the moment that we just shared in the hall. She responds in a surprisingly calm tone as if she had also been putting a lot of thought into this question herself, "Honestly Ruby, I really don't know what to make of it, I feel like it was something I wanted to try… I had a feeling and I wanted to get it off my chest, ever since we first met there has been this feeling of a knot in my chest and I just can't describe it…" she trails off looking back down at her food. My head is working overtime again trying to decipher the emotions that are spinning in my head.

 _ **Could I really be right? Weiss sharing the same feelings, this could be a dream come true!**_

I reach across the table and put my thumb and pointer finger underneath her chin lifting upward gently to bring her eyes back up to mine, revealing the bright crimson face of Weiss Schnee made even brighter by the paleness of her skin. A giant ear to ear grin is plastered on my face and I begin to blush as well, "Weiss would you be mad at me if I said I felt the same way?"

Weiss's face grows even more red which I didn't even think was possible, she laughs as she says "Of course not you dolt!" Weiss returns the smile, brushing my hand away before continuing "And I think we need to continue this conversation somewhere more private than the cafeteria, we don't want anyone getting the wrong idea."

 _ **Weiss once again putting her reputation above all, but it's worth it.**_

The walk back to the dorm was uneventful. Once we arrived Weiss used her scroll to unlock the door and we continue inside, luckily it is just the two of us so we can talk in private. I glance over at the clock on the far side of the room and the green digital numbers read 2:30. I sit on Weiss's bed which is below mine and she sits next to me, we are both orientate ourselves in such a way as to be able to look at each other as we speak.

For a moment we are both quite before Weiss finally breaks the silence, "So about what happened Ruby, the kiss we need to talk about it." Weiss pauses for a moment to make sure im listening before continuing. "I...I don't know what these feelings that I have been having are and in honesty I am not even sure if I want to know."

She pauses again but this time when she continues there is irritation in her voice "Everything that is going on is just weird, ever since we first met nothing in my life has been what I believe as normal and I can't tell if that's a good thing or if I hate it. These are feelings that I have never felt before and I have no idea how to deal with and it's tearing me apart inside!" By this point Weiss's tone has gone from irritation to full blown anger and her volume has been steadily increasing as she speaks.

 _ **Has Weiss never had serious feelings for someone? Why is she reacting so mean, I thought she was happy about the whole thing.**_

"Weiss calm down there is nothing to be angry about. What your feeling is natural, I feel the same way towards you ever since we first met, i've had these feeling brewing inside of me. If I am totally honest I don't really know how to deal with them either so you aren't alone."

"Ruby you don't understand!" Weiss fires back harshly. "You always have a much easier time expressing your thoughts and feelings, I just don't have the same ability you do."

I see the opportunity and I take it "Well words aren't the only way of expressing emotions you know princess." Weiss laughs at my comment, "Could it really be that simple?" She says sarcastically "Oh yeah, i'll show you." I say my lost smile now returning, as I lean in and press our lips together Weiss's eyes are open in shock that swiftly turns to understanding as she presses into the kiss.

The kiss drags on until we part, our breathing is heavy and ragged. I smirk with satisfaction "How did that make you feel princess?" Weiss's face shifts from one emotion to the next as she analyzes what just happened "It… was nice, I liked it, c-can we do it again?" I nod eagerly and lean back in for another kiss.

 _ **BEST TASTE EVER!**_

The kiss was sweet and slow, and we both enjoyed every single second of it. Time became irrelevant as our lips met in several more kisses. Weiss slid on top of my lap before I even knew what was happening the kissing was intoxicating our senses dull and dead as time slipped away from us.

The only thing that brought us back was a slight cough from the direction of the window sill. "Looks like I caught some mice in a trap." Blake's voice echoes through the room. The sudden sound causes Weiss to practically jump off my lap, I can feel a blush start to spread across my face a quick look over to Weiss reveals the same but only ten fold because of her pale white skin tone.

 _ **Damnit Blake, really now of all times!**_

I begin to realize I have absolutely no clue of how much time has past during Weiss and I's intimate lip lockage. I look to the clock again to discover it is now 4:03PM.

 _ **We were making our for an hour and a half! I guess we kinda got caught up in the moment.**_

"So do the two of you have anything to say for yourselves about this little show you two were just putting on or?" Blake says in her usual monotone seemingly unfazed by what she just walked into, Weiss now starting to recover from her embarrassment, quickly fires back a comment of her own, while also avoiding Blake's question.

"Blake Belladonna, was that a pun you just made?" The surprise in Weiss's question is hysterical to say the least, so I decide to add more fuel to the fire "You have really been spending too much time around my sister, she is starting to rub off on you." My added comment wins me a laugh from Weiss and a death glare from Blake, who is clearly embarrassed by my comment as well as angered. "While I do find you two so hilarious I didn't make my presence known to have you compare my puns to Yang's." Blake snarls out.

"Wait just a second." Weiss speaks up again, "Blake how long have you been watching us! This was a private discussion between Ruby and myself." Weiss's tone being a perfect mix of equal parts anger and embarrassment. "Well I wasn't really paying attention to your 'discussion', I was taking a catnap in the tree outside. When I was awoken from my pleasant nap by a message Yang sent me, informing me that she is on her way back for a change of clothing since she will be staying in the infirmary with Jason over night."

 _ **OH NO! I forgot about Yang! and why is she staying with Jason?**_

"Why is she staying with Jason, that's strange for her." I ask changing the subject away from Weiss and myself once more. "I don't really know Ruby, all I know is that she feels bad about hurting him. Which now that you mention it, is strange that she cares about this particular person when she has sent so many others to the infirmary in much worse condition than him."

Blake ponders for a moment before adding "Maybe there is something special about him? I mean let's be honest this kind of remorse is not like Yang, It is quite possible there is something more to the situation if you catch my drift."

"EWWWWWW!" Is the only thing that comes to mind after Blake's statement, the mere thought of what Yang does with her love interests is enough to make me feel slightly ill.

 _ **Really Yang, in the infirmary of all places!**_

"Why would she try that in the infirmary! That is gross, plus wouldn't it be really easy for them to get caught doing that in there?." My tone is full of shock but is only met by laughter from Blake and a sigh from Weiss who is now sitting down next to me again, her head now resting on my right shoulder. "What?" I ask confused at the laughter and sigh that my comment is met with.

Weiss is the one to answer me "I am almost certain that is not what she meant Dolt, I think she is just going to sit in his room and wait until he wakes up." I blush out of embarrassment of my thoughts being so perverted and inaccurate, "Oh...I guess that makes more sense." I say quietly as I feel my face growing red, and it only gets worse since Weiss decides to use my move from earlier in the cafeteria and using her thumb and pointer finger to move my gaze back to meet hers.

 _ **God she is amazing, if Blake wasn't here… you know what screw it.**_

I lean in and our lips touch for a quick kiss nothing special, but enough to show my affection as well as to earn a bright red blush from Weiss. We just sit there staring into each other's eyes, again only to be interrupted yet again by Blake.

"So is this going to be a regular thing now or what? Because I really don't think I can get used to this." Blake's showing a slight sense of humor that is usually out of character for her, but seeing the un-amused glares she is receiving from the two of us she shrugs her shoulders.

"Whatever you two can give me that look all you want but you need to take a break from whatever this is for a little bit, Yang will be here any minute and I think it's safe to say she has enough on her mind at the moment without having to try to figure out whatever this whole thing is. I can't even figure it out and I have nothing else going on, will you two just agree to hold off until Yang goes back to the infirmary? " Blake's words are very blunt as usual but she does have a very good point.

"Fine." I agree reluctantly, the thought of not being able to express my feelings to Weiss after waiting for so long already isn't a pleasant one but I guess it's one I will have to deal with.

 _ **Well at least it won't be too long, Yang will probably be in a rush to get back to the infirmary anyway.**_

The obvious annoyance on my face earns a smile from Weiss. "Oh come on Ruby, it won't be too long then we can continue our 'conversation'." I smile at her attempt to raise my spirits proving that it has obviously worked, it's a good thing Blake said something because not but a moment later Yang bursts through the door in a flurry of activity, running to her dresser grabbing what I believe to be clothes.

She only stops to raise an eyebrow at me sitting next to Weiss, but she shrugs it off and is gone from the room as quickly as she had entered with the clothes in a yellow and black overnight bag. "Well...I guess you guys are good then, i'll be reading on my bed so you two can do whatever...within reason of course." Blake looks at me when she says this but I could care less, this day is amazing.

"So...Ruby what do you wanna do now?" Weiss asks in a curious tone, I smile at her while I think on what would be fun to do. "We could snuggle up together and watch a movie on one of our scrolls?" Weiss grins at the idea and starts setting up the movie. She uses her scrolls attachment feature and sticks it to the bottom of my bed facing the wall. "What movie do you want to watch?" Weiss asks.

"How about that new movie _Lazer Team_ , i've been wanting to see that one." I suggest while getting comfortable on the bed and waiting to snuggled up with Weiss. "Sure sounds good." Weiss says as she starts the movie, then she gets herself comfortable next to me.

 _ **Wow the Ice Queen she lives up to her name, she is really cold but that's nothing I can't fix hehehe.**_

My thoughts fuel my actions as I slide a hand around Weiss's waist and pull her in close and placing a gentle kiss on her neck, the surprise of my actions causes a sharp gasp of surprise to escape from her which quickly turns into a soft hum of acceptance and content.

I glance across the room to see if Blake is looking or not, the sudden noise from Weiss does get Blake's attention and causes her to look up from her book , but upon seeing us shakes her head and goes back to reading not seeming to care what we are doing. As usual she is reading one of those secret books she keeps stashed away from everyone else.

Since Blake seems to be fully absorbed in her book I turn my attention back to Weiss with a mischievous grin on my face thinking of ways I can get a raise out of her.

 _ **This is gonna be fun, let's see how much of a reaction this will get out of Weiss.**_

With new vigor and an evil thought in mind I snuggle up closer to Weiss's neck putting her between me and Blake so she won't be able to see what i'm doing. With my head hidden from view and Weiss's neck so open to my mouth I became a little possessive and wanted to leave my mark on MY new girlfriend.

 _ **Girlfriend hah that sounds awesome, Weiss is my Girlfriend, I love this!**_

With passion in my thoughts and possessiveness taking hold I can't help but leave a mark by nibbling and licking Weiss neck causing another sharp gasp to escape from her as I continue to massage the area with my teeth. The gasp goes unnoticed from Blake who seems to be putting all of her attention into that book of hers, I guess it must be good.

Weiss lowers her voice and whispers in my ear, low enough Blake hopefully can't hear her "What do you think you're doing Dolt!" a mix of annoyance and surprise in her tone but also a hint of happiness, I smile to my new girlfriend and explain. "I'm leaving my mark so that everyone knows you are off limits now." My words got the raise I was looking for as Weiss starts to visibly shudder under my lips, I continue to aggravate the skin on her neck to ensure that a mark will be left behind.

As I gently nibble and lick Weiss's neck, very soft moans begin to escape her lips as I continue to enjoy myself. The thought of making Weiss moan for me only drives me further, causing me to speed up my actions causing Weiss's breathing to become increasingly ragged as she fights to keep a steady pace.

 _ **This is driving me crazy! If only Blake wasn't here.**_

After a few minutes pass I am sure that the mark is there, I pull back slightly with an audible pop to examine my work, and I am even happier when I see a decently sized red mark on my new girlfriend's neck. This mark in my mind stands as two things, as a sign of my affection and as a warning, HANDS OFF!

 _ **She's Mine and I won't hesitate to kill, if anyone was stupid enough to cross that line!**_

All and all this night is fantastic! But even with how amazing everything is right now I can't help but think of Yang from time to time.

 _ **I hope she's ok.**_

* * *

 **Hello again all you wonderful people! First things first thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed, as always suggestions and reviews are appreciated and somewhat of a necessity so that I can continue make this series better for you guys =D As of the time i'm writing this the story has risen to just under 800 views! I promise that I will not do these sorts of updates on every chapter, but I thought it would be good for this to be included just so I would have another excuse to say thank you for reading haha!**

 **Also this is my longest chapter to date sitting at 3600 or so words before this author's note this is again thanks to the help from my friend Heimdall112 who has been helping me greatly while I work to make these chapter better for all you wonderful people!**

 **Ok now that the usual spiel is out of the way I would like to address something rather important to this series as it moves forward, I like the way the Ruby and Weiss relationship is starting to come into play and without giving anything away I have some more tricks up my sleeve to keep it interesting but here is my question for you guys.**

 **What is your guys opinion on the two relationships between Ruby and Weiss and Jason and Yang? Do you like the pacing of it or should it move slower or even faster I have a good idea of how I want it to play out but hearing more about it could always help. So yeah either message me your opinions or include it in your review of the chapter thanks! And I will see you in the next chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5: Nurse Yang?

POV: Jason Vidar

Chapter 5: Nurse Yang?

Blood, blood is all you see, all you smell, It's drowning, it's suffocating. My eyes shoot open to a clearing of a forest on fire the green grass is dyed red in blood and black in death. Grimm bodies littered the ground scorched black, beowulf upon beowulf all circling and surrounding a small boy.

I can only watch from my perch on top of a tree, frozen with fear as I watch my little brother try to defend himself against a pack of beowolves. But he is too small and weak, the beowulf's easily overpower him knocking him to the ground before moving in for the kill the beowulf's lunge for his throat I here a long defining scream, then nothing.

I wake up from my nightmare with a jolt, which in turn causes immense pain in my chest. I lower the blanket that is covering me to discover dark purple bruises on my chest, presumably from the rounds I took from Yang's weapon.

 _ **Where am I?**_

I examine the room that I am currently in too my right there is a window, it looks to be night. A continued examination of the room around me reveals on the wall directly in front of my bed there is a set of clear glass cabinets that sit above a short counter with a sink off to the right hand side, to the direct left of the cabinets is the entrance to the room, market by a simple wooden door.

The sudden sound of someone snoring immediately draws my attention, I look to the direct left of my bed and am surprised to see Yang sleeping in a chair she must have dragged over from somewhere else in the room. She is in a rather uncomfortable looking position, lying across the arms of the chair with her legs on one side and her upper body on the side closest to me leaving her lower back in the seat of the chair itself.

 _ **what is she doing in here?**_

The last thing I remember before passing out is the end of our sparring match, Yang was on the floor of the arena and I was kneeling beside her. Strangely enough it appears that she isn't injured at all excluding a bruise from where the blunt end of _Forest Caliber_ had connected with her head but even that is beginning to fade.

 _ **How long have I been out? And why is Yang here at my bedside?**_

Seeing as there appears to be no one else around to ask I decide my best option is to wake Yang, and maybe figure out a little more about what happened between me falling into unconsciousness and now. I slide myself to the left edge of the bed while simultaneously propping myself up on my pillows so I am sitting mostly upright rather than laying down. I reach over with my right hand and tap Yang on the head to wake her, her pretty Lilac eyes opening sleepily to see who is disturbing her uncomfortable looking sleep.

When she sees me she attempts to jump to her feet, but with the way she is sitting she accomplishes little more than knocking the chair off balance which in turn causes her to crash to the floor with a loud thud. As painful as it is I can't help but laugh my ass off, watching Yang fall to the floor with a flurry of curses is probably the funniest thing i've seen in awhile.

"Good job there Firecracker, you show the floor who's boss!" I say my tone rich with sarcasm, Yang stands and fixes the chair placing it in such a way that she will be able to sit in it properly and face towards me she plants herself in the seat before saying anything, "You're so hilarious, if you weren't already injured you would be." she pauses for a moment, allowing herself to calm down before continuing. "So how are you feeling?"

 _ **She looks exhausted I guess sleeping in that chair isn't doing her any favors.**_

"All in all i'm pretty good so far although I do have a few questions, the most prominent of them being how long have I been unconscious?" I end up sounding a little more panicked than I intended but it gets me an answer all the same.

"Only a couple hours you apparently passed out just after the end of the match, I woke up a few minutes later and the medical teams were already preparing to take you here. It doesn't sound like anything too serious couple fractured ribs they'll keep you in here till tomorrow then you'll be released and you can go back to your dorm, you should be back to normal in a couple weeks."

 _ **Well that's something good atleast.**_

The little bit of relief I have is gone yet again when suddenly I am reminded that someone is missing from this equation. "Where is Gore? Has he eaten, is he ok,- " My frantic questions are paused when Yang uses her hand to cover my mouth in order to silence me. "Slow down. Don't worry Gore is fine, the medical staff just wouldn't let him in because he is considered 'unsanitary' he is patiently waiting outside. As for him eating Ozpin managed to find some dog food for him but he refused to eat it, I guess he'll only take his meals from you. Or maybe he was just to worried to eat I don't know."

Yang moves her hand away so I can respond, "Ok that's fine he'll eat when he gets hungry." The mild panic I just experienced is now starting to subside for the most part, but there is something that is still gnawing at me. "So now that i'm up to speed for the most part im curious how are you, I mean no offence but you look like hell right now." Yang still looks very un-amused at my comment so I attempt to backpedal. "Ok sorry but in total honesty you look like you're exhausted, how long have you been in here?"

Yang thinks for a short moment before answering. "For about eleven or so hours if I had to guess."

 _ **Has she really just been sitting here waiting for me to wake up for eleven hours...WHY!?**_

"Why?" Surprise and curiosity in my voice. Yang shifts nervously in her chair avoiding eye contact with me. "Yang, look at me and answer my question." My voice is pleading but firm trying to understand why this girl who seemed to hate me so much would sit in a chair for eleven hours just to see how I am doing.

"I… I felt kinda bad about hurting you okay." My head tilts to the side questioningly. "Why would you be, I mean let's be honest I deserved that beating for acting like a perv. That really wasn't exactly the best first impression I could've made, but could you really blame me you're beautiful." Yang's cheeks turn a light shade of pink at my comment and she turns away from me quickly "S… shut up jerk."

 _ **Why is she blushing, is she not used to people calling her beautiful?**_

"Now that ain't gonna work for me, I want you to answer me and I won't stop asking unt-" I am caught off guard by a sudden kiss from Yang, my thoughts are scrambled and my mind goes blank. The kiss only lasts a few seconds before Yang pulls back leaving the taste of cherry lingering on my lips. Yang now resting her head on the edge of my bed looking at me with those beautiful lilac eyes that seem to be burning through me.

"That seemed like the easiest way to get you to shut up." Yang laughs a large smile plastered on her face, "Now do you understand why i've been sitting in here all day?" I match Yang's smile realizing what she is implying in her sentence. "I like the sound of that, but there is something that I want to do first." My tone is finally returning back to my usual laid back manner, Yang surprised but seemingly curious at my statement inquires further. "Oh and what would that be?" wanting to keep my plan a secret my answer is short and vague.

"You'll find out soon enough, where did you say my stuff was again?" The look I get from Yang is a mix of confusion and annoyance, "Why would you need your stuff?" Yang asks with a tilt of her head. "Simple we are getting out of here." I reply rather nonchalantly for someone in the E.R, after hearing this Yang stands up and puts her hands on my shoulder's to prevent me from moving. "Are you crazy! You're supposed to stay in here over night, we can't go anywhere."

"Sure we can and we will, you gotta trust me Yang." She ponders this for a moment before letting out a loud sigh and releasing her grip on my shoulders, "Will you atleast tell me that this little idea of yours won't get you hurt anymore than you are already." I smile at the request. "Ok fair enough I will tell you this my idea is perfectly safe, now where are my clothes." Yang now looking a little more comfortable with my plan points out my clothes in a bag sitting next to the sink. "Thanks beautiful."

I stand up from the bed, swaying slightly but I steady myself on a chair. I walk the short distance over to the sink with my only issue being that my left leg has fallen asleep, though I still make it to the counter with little issue. I grab my clothes only now that I just got up and walked across the room only wearing a tight pair of black compression shorts.

 _ **Well that's a bit… uhh revealing.**_

I do my best to play off the fact that I just basically flashed Yang by dressing myself quickly in the same black and green striped sweatpants and white collared shirt I was wearing earlier today being sure to tuck my shirt meticulously into the waistband on the sweats. I grab my boots and sit down at the foot of the bed before attempting to put them on, my ribs do hurt slightly when I bend over to lace them up but I refuse to let it show, in fear Yang might change her mind.

When my boots are laced and I've got my clothes in order I stand, grabbing my blue blazer and _Forest Caliber_ from the counter and carefully pulling on the jacket and slinging my weapon over my left shoulder before turning back to Yang. "Ready to get out of here?" I ask as I extend my left hand to Yang who, up till this point has just been sitting in her chair waiting for me. "I thought you'd never ask." She replies as she stands taking my outstretched hand in her own, and leading me to the door.

 _ **She really is stunningly beautiful.**_

When we reach the door Yang opens it, checking to see if anyone is there then steps out with me trailing behind her. We are at the end of a long hallway with light blue tile floors and plain white walls, the only thing breaking the bleak pattern is other doors, probably leading to more rooms. The hall is empty except for the two of us, Yang keeping a firm grip on my hand leads me through the maze of matching hallways that eventually leads us to the front door of the Infirmary.

With a quick glance of our surroundings we slip past the door into the main lobby, the only other person is a nurse behind the counter. "How are we going to get past her, she'll see me if we just walk out." I question Yang to see if she has a plan.

"Oh that's just Pearl she knows me, no problem." With that Yang walks out dragging me with her to meet Pearl. "Hey girl what's up, you break something again?" The nurse asks in a carefree tone, not even looking up from the work in front of her. "Hey pearl it's good to see you actually i'm sneaking someone out a bit early, would you mind clearing him so we don't get into trouble?"

The nurse looks up and notices Yang holding my hand, she seems a bit surprised at this and quickly giving all her attention to our conversation. "Sure thing but I want all the details later girl" she flashes Yang a smile, "what's your name hun?" I state my name to the nurse, and she enters it into the computer to pull up my file. "Says here you were to be let out today anyway, I'll just move the time to now so you are fine to go."

 _ **Yang seems to have friends in all the right places.**_

"Just out of curiousity what time is it?" I ask just now realizing I have no clue what time it is. "Just after one in the morning." Pearl replies, I am about to thank her when Yang jumps in "Thanks again Pearl, we gotta get going the next time i'm over here i'll fill you in on all the details!" Pearl just laughs, and before I can say a word Yang is pulling me forward towards the exit to the infirmary.

We step out through the door and out into the darkness of the early morning, standing there looking into the night I am greeted by a set of familiar red eyes. Yang also noticing releases my hand, still seeming uneasy around the large wolf. The black and grey figure of my companion Gore appears from the darkness, running over to me and sitting silently at my feet. I scratch him on the head and pet him for a moment before he moves away.

 _ **He never has been one for affection.**_

Now that my companion is taken care of I turn my attention back to Yang, I grab her hand causing my heart to beat rapidly at the connection and lead her back to my dorm room. When we get to the door Yang looks confused "Why are we here? That doesn't count as an adventure." She says pouting.

"I know, this is only the beginning. To make this a proper adventure I need to grab a few things. Wait here with Gore i'll be right back." I use my scroll to unlock the door stepping inside leaving the door open behind me. Making sure to be quiet I move quickly across the room to my bed, feeling my way around the frame until I find my suitcase on the far side.

I run through my mental checklist grabbing all the items I need to make this time spent with Yang perfect. One by one throwing the items into my black and green workout bag, when I am certain I have everything I pull the drawstring closed before slinging the bag over my right shoulder. I stand getting ready to head back to Yang and Gore in the hall when i'm surprised by a voice from somewhere in the room "What are you doing?"

Out of instinct my hand reaches for the weapon on my shoulder, "Hey relax, i'm a friend." Lie Ren appears in front of me.

 _ **Good job idiot! You nearly attacked one of your team members.**_

I move my hand away from the hilt of the weapon slowly, "Sorry about that I didn't think that anyone else would be awake at this hour. I guess i'm still a little uneasy in the new surrounding and all." Ren just nods his head, though I don't know him well yet he seems like a man of few words. "Well uhh, I guess i'll see you around then." Ren nods once more, and I start making my way back to the open door.

When I step out into the hall Yang is waiting for me, I let the door close behind me and take her hand once more as we walk side by side down the hall. "What did you have to get?" Yang asks excitedly, but not wanting to ruin the surprise I answer simply "Some stuff." Chuckling to myself at Yang's reaction which is to get annoyed and punch my arm lightly, which I quickly play up as if she had hit my ribs. Her reaction is nothing if not perfection, Yang's reaction turning from annoyance and anger to regret and fear at the thought of possibly hitting my injury and apologising again and again.

Finally I can't hold it in anymore and I burst out laughing, much to the surprise of Yang. Her surprise turning to anger as she realizes what is going on, the beautiful lilac eyes turning red. Between my laughter and the fear of what Yang might do to me, I trip stumbling slamming into a nearby wall and sliding to the floor still laughing hysterically which painful as it may be I can't help it. Yang is now standing over me, still looking angry so I decide in interest of living I should try to calm her down. "Yang...Yang calm down you know it was funny, don't be mad at me." I make my best attempt at making a pouty face but it has no effect.

 _ **Ok so this isn't working, time for something a little more direct.**_

I grab Yang and pull her into my lap being careful she doesn't hit me, giving her a kiss on the forehead hoping to calm her down. Thankfully this works and the red tint in her eyes disappears, leaving only her usual beautiful lilac color behind. Relieved that my plan seemed to work I pull Yang in close wrapping my arms around her lower back and resting my chin on the top of her head, while she rests her head in my chest. We stay like this for a good while just enjoying each other's company, time is irrelevant as I become fully enveloped in the beautiful girl in my lap.

Nothing else in the world matters as long as I have her, I whisper in Yang's ear. "As amazing as this moment is, I did have a better idea and I would still love to share it with you. What do you think?" I try to stand but Yang refuses to let me up, keeping her head pressed firmly against my chest. "Awwww but I don't want to move, i'm so comfortable!" Yang complains raising her head from my chest. "Yang I-." I am interrupted by a kiss from the beautiful girl in my lap, successfully silencing me.

 _ **I could get used to this.**_

When she pulls back giving me a pleading look, I pause to think of a way to argue but come up with nothing. "Yang this is just unfair." I look at her again and realize I have no chance in this argument . "Fine, fine I can't argue with that face." Giving her another peck on the forehead, earning a celebratory "YAY!" from Yang before burying her head back in my chest. Feeling content my eyes start to get heavy, all I want to do is stare at this beautiful girl in my lap.

I lean my head against the wall behind me, bringing Yang in close. I keep trying to fight the urge to sleep, though eventually I can't fight it anymore. My eyes close sending me into a deep sleep.


	6. Chapter 6: Ruby's Rage

POV: Weiss Schnee

Chapter Six: Ruby's Rage

I wake to warmth and the smell of rose petals, Ruby is nestled up against my chest her hair tickling my nose as I breath. Her arms are wrapped around my waist holding me tight in a unbreakable hug. My right arm is draped over her left hip and my right arm is under her head propping it up slightly.

A thick blanket is covering our bodies, wrapping us together and enveloping us in a comfortable sleep inducing heat. As I open my eyes and look around morning light streams in through the window basking the ground in golden light. Blake is cuddled up in a cave of blankets with only her face peeking out. Yang's bunk is empty, which is odd she usually returns for sleep after one of her escapades.

 _ **I wonder where Yang is I hope she is okay, Ruby will go crazy with worry if she doesn't get back soon.**_

I look down at Ruby's sleeping face as she cuddles closer to me… my musing of Ruby's beautiful face is interrupted with realization.

 _ **Yang is going to kill me if she see's us like this!**_

I start shaking Ruby slightly trying to wake her, needing to get free from her death grip. "Ruby please let go, if your sister comes in and sees us like this i'm dead." I struggle against her grip slowly working my way out as she groans and complains. "Weiiiiissss… five more minutes!" She snuggles closer cutting off my air supply as she crushes me against her.

 _ **Can't breathe…**_

I struggle against her desperately squirming and wiggling trying to get some air in my lungs. I was so focused on trying not to die I didn't notice Blake was looking down at us as she stood next to the bed silently giggling. "Need some help there Weiss." I squirm and manage to choke out a reply. "Yes… can't breathe… dying." Blake openly chuckles now and walks over to her and Yang's dresser and pulls a box out.

 _ **What is she doing? I need help not a box!**_

Blake walks back over and cracks the box open and pulls out… a cookie?

 _ **A COOKIE?! What the hell Blake now is not the time for a snack, I am going to die here!**_

Blake seems to realize my thoughts and starts to laugh. "Weiss, calm down I have a rational reason for getting this." She hides the box behind her back and leans down with the cookie in hand and waves it in front of Ruby's nose.

Ruby's nose twitches slightly and her eyes pop open. She tries to jump up to get the cookie from Blake releasing me in the process, but she just falls back down not realizing I had my arm still wrapped around her waist. Ruby looks down at me then at our intertwined bodies.

"S-sorry Weiss." Ruby stammers out with a deep red blush on her face.

"It's fine dolt but next time we cuddle try not to kill me please, thanks Blake for saving me oh and for the blanket that was really nice of you." Blake nods in acknowledgement but says nothing climbing back up to her bed, pulling out the book she had from last night. I turn my attention back to Ruby who is now off the bed stretching in front of me, before going over to Blake to get her cookie. Before Ruby can even say a word Blake throws the cookie across the room, which causes Ruby to dive after it catching it before it can touch the ground.

 _ **Ruby Rose what will I ever do with you?**_

I sigh because even with how unhealthy and over active this silver eyed girl is I can't help but care for her. I stand up from the bed, glancing over to the clock to discover it is nine o'clock in the morning, I decide sense I have some time i'll take a quick shower before I go to breakfast. I grab a set of fresh clothes from the dresser before heading into the bathroom, setting my clothes down on the counter before starting the water.

I test the water with my hand adjusting the knobs slightly until the temperature is to my liking, when I do finally find the perfect balance I shed my clothes and step into the shower. The warm water feels amazing and as it runs over my body, I decide to use this time to reflect on what happened yesterday. My thoughts bring about an unexpected wave of emotions. As happy as I am that Ruby is not weirded out by my feelings for her, even feels the same way make me ecstatic. It is probably the best thing that could have happened between us.

Though at the same time there is a nagging feeling that this will end in disaster. I continue to mull over these thoughts in my head while I shower, though in the end I can't seem to find a solution. I eventually decide it's best to just put it out of my mind and see how everything plays out, at this point I've finished with my shower rinsing myself one final time before turning off the water and stepping out to dry myself.

I reach to the towel rack on the wall to my left and grab my towel, thoroughly drying myself with it before hanging it back on the rack to dry. Then lastly dressing myself in my usual white combat skirt and jacket, and taking one last quick look in the mirror. Realizing only now that I forgot about Ruby's mark of affection, a bright red hickey on the left side of my neck right at the base of my neck.

 _ **How am I going to explain this!?**_

Quickly I try to cover the mark I adjust my collar so that the mark is nearly unnoticeable, knowing this will be about he best i can get I step out of the bathroom. I am greeted by a immediate hug from Ruby, nearly knocking me to the floor. "Ruby it's literally been ten minutes since you've seen me, calm down." I manage to regain my balance trying to pry Ruby off of me but to no avail she has me in that death grip of hers, finally I give up trying to fight her off and give into the hug.

I try my very best to act as if i'm still annoyed with her but as hard as I may try I just can't stay mad at her, I pull back from her embrace slightly giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead to be sure that my true feelings get across. Ruby's cheeks turn red and a smile covers her face at the small showing of affection.

 _ **God she is adorable!**_

"Ruby i'm hungry, do you want to get some breakfast with me?" Ruby looks up at me smiling even broader than before, "I'd love to princess." She says taking my hand leading me to the door, we say goodbye to Blake before stepping out of the room into the hall. I follow closely behind Ruby as she leads me by my hand, but as we step into the hall Ruby seems to notice something just out of my view causing her to stop suddenly.

"What's wrong Ruby?" I say being rather concerned at this random mood switch. When I still get no reply I free my hand and step forward to be able to see what has Ruby of all people speechless. When I see what is causing the commotion even I stop unsure of what to say or do.

"R-Ruby… what am I looking at?" My girlfr...I uh mean Ruby, steps forward with a look of absolute rage on her face at seeing her sister cuddling with the new guy Jason in the middle of the hallway.

 _ **Woah what!? I've never seen Ruby mad! and it's kinda hot.**_

The next thing I see is Ruby pull back getting ready to strike, Yang who is beginning to wake up realizes what Ruby is about to do attempts to stand to defend Jason and Herself. Before Ruby can go through with her attack Gore jumps out and stands in front of Ruby effectively blocking her and growling viciously. I move quickly grabbing Ruby around the waist pulling her back towards my chest bringing her into a close and tight embrace, slowly backing us away from the large animal.

I move my lips to her ear to whisper, "Calm down Ruby please, let's hear what they have to say at least!" Which much to my relief seems to work, at least to an extent as Ruby relaxes into my arms. Thankfully the wolf does not seem interested in attacking but rather is just protecting his master. Jason now seems to be awake thanks to Yang and is yelling at the large wolf to return to him, reluctantly the animal obeys without question moving back to his master's side.

 _ **Ok everyone calm down…**_

Jason stands slowly holding his chest, using the wall behind him for support. Yang moves over to help him but he raises his hand to stop her, which in turn causes Yang to turn her attention to Ruby. "Ruby what the hell are you doing!" Yang questions practically screaming, her eyes starting to gain a red tint to them. Seeing this Ruby seems to back down at her sister's anger, wisely so. "I...I don't know I just saw the two of you and lost it, please forgive me you guys I don't know what came over me."

Yang looks at her sister then to me, giving me a questioning look which makes me realize that I am still holding Ruby. I blush out of embarrassment and quickly release Ruby from my embrace, but Yang continues to examine me for a time before turning her focus back to Ruby. "I know this may sound a little hypocritical but you can't just go off like that Rubes" Yang's tone is softer now the anger now all but forgotten, she never could bring herself to be mad at Ruby. Jason meanwhile is standing behind Yang watching the interaction silently.

 _ **I hope she didn't notice the mark Ruby gave me, I don't think I can handle Yang when she's angry.**_

Ruby apologises to her sister yet again before turning her attention to Jason extending her right hand out for a handshake. "That really wasn't the best way for an introduction to go, hi i'm Ruby Yang's sister, pleased to meet you." Jason returns the gesture by extending his right hand to meet Ruby's giving it a firm shake, "Don't worry about it, i'm Jason Vidar. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He responds in a deep voice his tone totally relaxed, he is surprisingly calm for someone who was just attacked by the very person he is speaking to.

Following Ruby's attempt at a proper introduction there is an awkward silence for a few moments before the sound of a door opening catches everyone's attention. Team JNPR is now standing in the hall behind us, probably drawn out by the commotion of what just happened. Nora is the first to speak as usual, a large smile on her face. "Sounds like you guys are having a party out here, why weren't we invited?"

"Oh hey guys, we just had a little argument is all." Yang responds somewhat defensively, giving away the fact that something is actually going on to team JNPR. Ren looks at Yang then to Jason, as he seems to put together what is going on but decides to keep it to himself. Jason shifts his weight uneasily, obviously uncomfortable with all the sudden attention that he is receiving from his new team.

Instead he elects to give his attention to the wolf beside him, giving him a scratch behind the ear more to the benefit of himself then the animal. "Oh really? Is something wrong?" Pyrrha asks genuinely concerned, which earns a hasty response of "NO" from both Yang and Jason. Jason in an attempt to defuse suspicion speaks up.

"No...no it's fine just a simple misunderstanding is all, you see Ruby here got a little too close to me when I was asleep. I had passed out in the hallway after staying out too late, and Gore here got a little to jumpy and nearly attacked her…Sorry again about that Ruby I truly hope you can forgive him…and me for that matter for not keeping a closer eye on him."

 _ **I have to say he is convincing.**_

He even goes so far as to scold Gore for the fake attack, the wolf plays along lowering his head in response to his master's scolding. Ruby surprisingly quickly picks up on what Jason is doing and plays along as well, "Oh it's ok don't be so hard on him he was just protecting his friend, I can't be mad at him for that." She says smiling brightly, Gore walks over to Ruby sitting down at her feet.

Timidly Ruby reaches out a hand to pet the large wolf rubbing his head gently, which causes Gore's tail to wag happily. "Well that's... new." Jason says in slight surprise, "Well i'm starving, anyone want to get some breakfast?" Though his comment is directed to everyone his eyes are fixated on Yang alone, making it obvious the question is meant for her. Yang giggles and accepts the offer, starting to walk down the hallway leaving Jason to catch up.

As Jason and Yang slowly start to walk away with Gore noticeably pushing in between them, I see Yang look back at me giving me a out of character look….then she mouths something to me, "I'm watching you two." My hand goes to the mark that Ruby gave me, now realizing that it is no longer covered by my collar. I can feel my cheeks redden in embarrassment, getting a laugh from Yang as she goes back to walking down the hall with Jason and Gore.

 _ **I doubt that will be the end of this, but i'll take it.**_

Sense things have calmed down now I decide I might as well run my errands before it get's too late in the day, I can even bring Ruby along with me. "Hey Ruby i've got some shopping I need to do in Vale, want to come along?" My question receiving an immediate "Yes!" from Ruby who excitedly walks with me as we head down the hallway, leaving team JNPR behind as we make our way to the docks. After a few minutes of walking we arrive at the docks and quickly make our way on board the ship headed for Vale.

"So what are we going shopping for?" Ruby asks as we prepare for takeoff, "Oh nothing too exciting I just needed to pick up some more dust cartridges for _Myrtenaster,_ other than that I didn't have anything really planned. I figure we can just walk around and just have a fun time before we start a new week of classes and such." I look at Ruby and smile, but there is still something bothering me. "Ruby I think we should talk a little more about what happened last night, and more importantly what it means for us in the long term. Do you know what i'm saying?"

Ruby nods in acknowledgement, "Ok what do you wanna talk about?" I sigh not knowing quite how to proceed, deciding that a direct approach is the best choice. "It's simple I just want to know-" I pause taking a shallow breath. "What are we? I know we both care for each other but…" I trail off but Ruby finishes my sentence. "You're worried that it won't work out?" I nod, leaving the silver eyed girl to think for a moment before she continues.

"I find it much easier to show my emotions rather than talk about them princess." Surprising me with a kiss, which lasts a few seconds before I pull back. I shoot Ruby an angry glare that surprises her. She quivers her lip in a pout. "S-sorry Weiss I didn't mean to make you mad I-I."

 _ **Damnit Ruby how can you be so adorable! If only we weren't in public.**_

I stop her from babbling on with a finger on her lips. "It's not that I didn't want the kiss but there are people around." Ruby tilts her head in a questioning manner. "What do we care if their are people around?" I sigh and look around quickly to check our surroundings before leaning in and whispering in Ruby's ear. "If you haven't heard i'm a Schnee, do you really think that people wouldn't be interested in such a scandal!?"

Ruby's mouth makes a 'O' shape in realization. "I didn't even think of that Weiss." I nod before responding. "Exactly if people find out, we're going to be constantly hounded by reporters and others plus I would rather not let my parents know just yet." I shudder after the thought of my father screaming in my face and my mother's disappointed look.

Ruby noticing my change in mood quickly slides her hand in mine, giving it a tight squeeze to comfort me. "It'll be alright Weiss, nothing or no one can stop me from being with you." Ruby gives me this look of absolute determination and love I can't help but smile and agree.

Our airship arrives in Vale not long after, we exit onto a platform almost identical to the one at Beacon. We leave the platform and make our way to the shopping district of Vale, which is only about two blocks away from the airship platform. After about five minutes of walking we come upon our destination, the dust shop known as _From Dust Till Dawn._ As we enter the shop the old man behind the counter greets us with a courteous nod.

I step up to the counter. "The usual please." The merchant nods and leaves the counter heading for a back room door in which he disappears. I look over to Ruby who is examining dust caliber rounds. With a smile on her face and a look of wonder I approach her. "What are you doing?" She breaks her look at the rounds and looks up at me. "Just wondering why I never thought to use dust with my sweetheart, the additional effects of dust would make her even more deadly."

 _ **I've been wondering that myself.**_

"Do you want to pick up some rounds to try them out?" Ruby face goes glum and she starts fidgeting tapping her two pointer fingers together shyly. "I would love to but… I kinda spent all my money." I take my hand and lift her chin with my pointer and thumb. "Let me guess… hmm cookies." Ruby nods and giggles shyly "Yeah...The bakery was having a sale and I kinda went overboard."

 _ **Typical Ruby, but it's kinda cute.**_

"What will I ever do with you dolt?" I say laughing, Ruby gives me a confident look. "I have a few ideas." I can feel the blush start to cover my face from the mental images that I am seeing thanks to Ruby's comment, a few moments later the man returns to the counter with a small case in hand. I walk back to the counter as the man opens the case so that I may inspect its contents, inside there are fifty small specially crafted cartridges of dust that are specifically designed to be used in _Myrtenaster._

I give the cartridges a quick once over before concluding that they are satisfactory and closing the case, I pull out my debit card and hand it to the teller. I look over at Ruby who is still staring into the glass case that contains the special dust rounds, "Oh and I almost forgot throw in a case of the fifty caliber sniper dust rounds as well, please." The man nods ducking down below the counter and reappearing with a rather large red rectangular container. The words _50\. Caliber Dust Round_ printed in bold black letters across the front of the case, and _400 count_ written just below it in the same fashion.

He opens the container in the same fashion as before revealing its contents to me for examination, I quickly close the case to hide it from Ruby to surprise her with it later. "Thank you! Do you have anything to put these in? They are going to be a surprise." The teller runs my card through the machine and I enter my pin number as he places my dust cartridges and Ruby's sniper rounds into a green canvas bag with _From Dust Till Dawn_ written on the side.

 _ **I think my girlfriend will like this...girlfriend I like the sound of that.**_

I get Ruby and we head out from the dust shop back down the street towards the airship dock, I quickly send out a message to arrange for one of my fathers men to pick up the ammo and take it back to Beacon. This way I won't have to carry it around all day since it is quite heavy, and just an inconvenience. "Ruby I have arranged for my dust to be taken back to Beacon so now that we have taken care of that we can do whatever you like, sound good?" Ruby smiles and nods but says nothing, seemingly lost in thought.

I decide not to question her and instead just continue with the short walk back to the airship dock, where an airship with the Schnee Family emblem is already waiting. I hand my bag to the man instructing him to deliver it to our dorm room at Beacon and send him on his way, his only response being a simple "yes ma'am" before boarding the airship and heading off. I turn back to Ruby who still seems to be thinking, I look around making sure the coast is clear and I get her attention with a quick peck on Ruby's cheek causing them to turn bright red.

"What are you thinking about, figuring out what you wanna do?" I ask my curiosity getting the better of me, but Ruby looks unbothered as usual and answers me happily. "Yep and I have a great idea!" She announces excitedly.

 _ **This should be fun! There never is a dull moment when Ruby Rose is around.**_


	7. Chapter 7: Lesson Learned

POV: Jaune Arc

Chapter Seven: Lesson Learned

I sit on my bed in silence, studying the pages before me in a futile attempt to prepare myself for the test tomorrow. The silence is suddenly disturbed by muffled shouts from the hall, I look up from the book glancing over to the other three occupants of the room. The commotion grabbing everyone's attention, we look at each other in confusion as another loud exchange of muffled words can be heard through the walls.

 _ **I wonder what's going on.**_

Nora hops up from her bed saying something about there being a party, sounding a little to excited by the aspect, Ren as usual follows Nora to keep damage to a minimal, Pyrrha sets her book aside as well and stands making her way to the others who are now standing by the door. I quickly move over to them and prepare myself for whatever could be going on out in the hall.

The door swings open thanks to a swift kick from Nora allowing us to now step out, we are greeted by a sight. The source of the noise seems to have been three of the four members of team RWBY and the new member of our team Jason as well as his companion wolf, though whatever was causing the problem seems to have been resolved as the five of them are just standing in the hall now. They heard Nora's entrance and have now turned to face us looking rather uneasy, Nora speaks first.

"Sounds like you guys are having a party out here, why weren't we invited?" After a few moments of silence Yang is the one to speak up, sounding a little more defensive than usual. "Oh hey guys, we just had a little argument is all." The slow response added to the fact of her somewhat defensive tone makes me more than a little suspicious, and after a quick look at the rest of my team it seems that the feeling is mutual.

Jason shifts his attention down to his wolf giving him a scratch on the head, looking uncomfortable with the attention that he is receiving. Phyrra speaks up sounding concerned for the well being of her friends, "Oh really? Is something wrong?" The question is immediately met with a "NO" from both Yang and Jason.

 _ **What are they up to?**_

Jason seems to realize our suspicion and takes it upon himself to explain, speaking in a relaxed tone. "No...no it's fine just a simple misunderstanding is all, you see Ruby here got a little too close to me when I was asleep. I had passed out in the hallway after staying out too late, and Gore here got a little to jumpy and nearly attacked her" He pauses and turns his attention to Ruby. "Sorry again about that Ruby I truly hope you can forgive him…and me for that matter for not keeping a closer eye on him."

He seems genuinely apologetic, and Ruby being her happy self isn't one to hold a grudge. "Oh it's ok don't be so hard on him he was just protecting his friend, I can't be mad at him for that." She says smiling, Gore even walks over and sits down next to her even receiving a hesitant scratch on the head from Ruby. Jason himself seems a bit surprised at the actions of his companion, but his focus quickly turns to Yang, "Well i'm starving, anyone want to get some breakfast?" Though he says it outloud it seems to be targeted to Yang specifically, which earns a giggle and a "Yes" from Yang who then starts walking down the hall with Jason jogging to catch up.

 _ **Well that's… Different?**_

With Jason and Yang now gone it is only myself, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Ruby, and Weiss remaining in the hall before. Though this only lasts a few moments before Weiss asks Ruby if she would like to go shopping, earning a near immediate "Yes!" then the two of them make a quick exit from the hall leaving only myself, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren in the hall. I speak up first, "Well...am I the only person that thinks that was really weird?"

Everyone nods in agreement but Pyrrha is the one to speak. "It does seem like something is going on between them and our new teammate."

"Well obviously, I saw Yang and Jason asleep together in the hall last night probably around midnight or so-" She pauses seeing the looks of surprise before her, "What you guys didn't know that?"

So Jason is here for two days and he is already with Yang, but i'm here forever and Weiss still won't give me a second look just my luck. "Well I suppose that would explain the whole incident this morning, we have all seen how protective Ruby is. Maybe she saw the two of them together?" I state in a questioning tone, examining the expressions of the three people in front of me.

Much to my confusion Pyhrra doesn't seem very surprised at all, but instead looks lost in thought causing my curiosity to spike and make me want to question her about it. "What are you thinking about Phyrra?"

Phyrra looks up and turns towards me with a smile, but won't meet my eyes. "We should get back to studying." She then quickly turns her attention away from me and hastily heads back into the dorm room.

 _ **Why is everything so strange today?!**_

While I stand in the hall trying to still fully comprehend what all is happening, I hear Nora mention something about going to Vale as well. Before anyone can say a word to her she takes off down the hall, all the while ranting happily to herself about this and that leaving Ren to silently follow her on her adventures to keep her in line a slight smile on his lips the whole time.

After Ren and Nora have gone I walk back to the room hoping to find out what is going on with Phyrra, upon stepping inside I notice that Phyrra is standing in the entrance of the room arms crossed seemingly waiting for me. "Uhh...What's up?" I manage to somewhat nervously find the words, but there's something about the way she is acting that makes me think that these words could be a mistake.

Much to my surprise my statement is met by a few moments of silence from Phyrra before she speaks, being sure to choose her words carefully her tone softer than usual leaving me to assume that something is wrong. "Oh nothing really Jaune… I was just figuring that we could go over the notes or something, I thought you might appreciate some help."

While I still think that there is something else bothering her, I figure it couldn't hurt to have some help. "Sure that sounds great, thank you." I reply as I walk across the room to my bed, grabbing my grimm studies textbook as well as the matching notes before heading back over to Phyrra's bed. She slides herself to the right slightly opening a spot for me to sit down and patting it to signal me to do so, I seat myself next to her and open the book back to the page where it previously was.

Phyrra does the same handing me her notes for comparison, after about ten or so minutes of furiously copying my notes from hers they are up to the amazingly high standards of Phyrra's. Well this should at least help me get a passing grade, still won't be great but it's a start. "Thanks again Phyrra I really appreciate you helping me with my school work and combat skills I don't think I'd be anywhere near this good without you there guiding me."

Phyrra smiles brightly at the compliment, "You are welcome, it isn't really anything special I enjoy helping you. It ends up only helping me in the long run anyway you being our team leader and all." I laugh scratching the back of my head. "Well I still do appreciate it because you don't _have_ to do anything to help me, so it means a lot to me." I say while matching her smile, silence then takes over for a few minutes as we sit staring awkwardly at our notes.

 _ **Should I say something or just wait…**_

Sense I am still entirely clueless of what is going on I am relieved when Phyrra speaks up, "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question Jaune?" I am slightly surprised by the question, but seeing nothing wrong with it I answer simply "Sure, what do you wanna know?" Phyrra turns to face me by bringing her feet up onto the bed to sit cross legged. After she is in her new sitting position she slides herself back so that she can lean back against the wall at the far end of the bed, where the headboard would normally be.

I mimic her sitting position so that we are facing each other, making sure that I look entirely serious about what is going to be said. "Well I was just curious is there anyone that you are interested in at Beacon?"

The content of the question surprises me slightly, though I don't show it in my expression. I think for a moment on my reply, with Weiss being the only one coming to mind it's as good as answer as any I guess. "Well I kinda have a thing for Weiss, but I don't know she doesn't seem interested in me every time I try to talk to her she just ignores me." I keep eye contact while I speak when I say Weiss's name Phyrra flinches slightly, she tries to hide it but I still notice it only adding to my confusion.

I decide it is better not to question as much as I may want to it would just complicate things further than they already are, which would probably drive me insane. Phyrra responds very simply and suddenly seems in a hurry, "Well...you can't give up, if you really want to be with her then you just have to keep trying." Though it does sound that the words have truth to them there is also something else in her tone, which I can only guess is sadness.

 _ **Did...did I do something wrong?**_

"Well I have some things that I have to do, i'll talk to you later" Phyrra stands practically jumping off of the bed, leaving her notes and book behind. Hastily making her way towards the door, I stand as well trying to stop her but she avoids me, "Phyrra wait!" Though my words fall on deaf ears as Phyrra just continues walking, the door to the room opening just before she reaches it to reveal Jason and Yang entering accompanied by Gore. "Hey Pyrrha." Jason says happily when he notices her heading towards them, but she just pushes past heading out into the hall.

"Is everything ok Jaune?" Yang asks sounding concerned, Jason says nothing. "I don't really know...we were talking and I just don't know, I'm so confused." I bury my head in my hands and throw myself back down onto the bed, with the mix of confusion and frustration I am currently attempting to sift through I don't know what else to do. While I lay on the bed I can hear them walk, from the sound of it the three move over to Jason's bed.

"I am gonna go talk to Phyrra, you talk to Jaune see if you can make him feel better." Yang is speaking to Jason, in which he responds jokingly. "Aye aye captain." Earning a giggle from Yang before (gauging by the sound) she heads to the door to go find Phyrra. Jason sighs out loud, then after a moment I can hear him moving something over towards me. "So...you wanna tell me what happened with you two?" He speaks calmly, I sit up and move my hands away. Looking around I notice two things, first of which being that Jason's jacket is now gone and second Jason is sitting on his bed that is now pushed closer to Phyrra's which he and Gore are sitting on.

"Well we were just studying and such then Pyrrha asked me if i was interested in anyone at Beacon, and when I said Weiss's name...I don't know her mood seemed to change and she left in a hurry." Jason listens without saying a word, nodding his head when I have finished. He contemplates for a few moments before speaking, "So what is the whole...uh...situation between you and Pyrrha?"

Assuming the reason he is asking is because he is still new here and doesn't know us us all that well yet, I answer without a second thought. "Well she has been helping me with my combat skills and my school work, other than that we are friends you know." Jason's expression changes slightly at this new piece of information, though if he figured something out he keeps it to himself for the time being. After a few moments Jason speaks up again. "Ok, well I am gonna put this as simple as possible for you. You like Weiss right, that's what i'm getting out of this?"

He pauses checking to see my response before continuing, "And I am guessing that you have liked her for a decent amount of time right?" Again I nod, "So you probably did things to try to impress her, you know make her notice and show your feelings. Now think for a second about that, really think about it and then look at all the stuff Phyrra has been doing for you. And there my friend is where this little problem of yours lies."

 _ **Wait a second does he mean...**_

Seemingly pleased with his explanation Jason lays back onto his bed looking up at the ceiling, resting his right leg over his raised left knee. After a moment it all clicks and I understand what Jason is saying, I stand turning myself to face him.

"So you mean-"

"Yep, Phyrra has a crush on you."

My mind is running at a million miles a minute thinking about every interaction I've had with Phyrra, all the signs i've likely missed and the numerous times I have made a fool of myself. Jason sits up on the bed to look over at me, presumably to see how I handle the situation.

"So Phyrra has a crush on me." Saying the words out loud sounds crazy and ridiculous as my brain is still fighting to comprehend the situation. If there is a reply it goes unnoticed sense my chest is tied in knots, my heart is beating faster than usual and catching my breath is becoming increasingly difficult. Jason stands slowly from his bed walking over to me placing his hands on my shoulders, shaking me forcefully. "Jaune...hey Jaune buddy talk to me, you ok? Looking like you're hyperventilating over here man."

I look at him still quizzical but I am slightly calmed by the action, the force seemingly snapping me out of my little episode. "Ok...i'm ok, I just need a second to figure this all out." Jason nods pushing down on my shoulders, making me sit back down on the bed before removing his hands. He elects to stand in front of me his arms crossed watching me, as I sit there mulling over the details in my mind I notice something strange. "Didn't you have your jacket with you when you came in?" Jason shifts uncomfortably, though why I don't quite know.

"Yeah I did."

"So where did it go?"

He pauses for a few moments before answering, "Yang took it with her." He says looking slightly embarrassed, I can't help but laugh at his discomfort which is met by a glare of disapproval. The glare putting an end to my laughter, I decide it's best to change the subject. "I'm gonna go talk to Phyrra about all this I need to hear it from her." I decide, determined to try to stand though I am stopped by Jason.

"Hold on a second, give yourself some time to think and a little time for her to calm down and talk to Yang. It won't do you any good to go rushing to her when she is still all emotional, plus you're still all flipped out yourself. In a couple of hours you'll both be calm enough to talk about all this without freaking out or flipping out, yah get me?" His explanation makes perfect sense and as hard as it may be, i'll just have to wait. I nod showing my acknowledgment letting out a sigh of disapproval, "I guess i'll go do some combat training, that's always a good way to kill time."

I stand this time instead of stopping me Jason simply moves out of the way allowing me to stand, I walk back to my bed on the opposite side of the room grabbing _Crocea Mors_ from underneath and attaching it to right hip. When I am finished I cross the room a final time making my way to the front door, when I reach the door however Jason calls out to stop me. "Hey wait up, i'll come with you maybe I can show you a few things. Sense your usual trainer is well let's just say not available, plus it might help you to practice against someone you aren't familiar with." I consider Jason's proposition, deciding that he once again is right. "Sure that sounds great, if you don't mind."

Jason chuckles at my statement, "Yeah i'm pretty sure my afternoon is free now thanks to this, Yang is with Phyrra and i'm with you." His statement comes off a little harsher than I think he meant it to but I understand where he is coming from, I say nothing as we head out of the dorm and into the hall now on our way to the sparring arena. Jason pulls out his scroll and sends a message presumably too Yang, telling her what happened and where we are going if she needs him. Not to long after Jason sends his message, his scroll dings alerting him to a new message.

"Well it seems that thing's with Phyrra are worked out for the most part, Yang's been talking to her and she seems to have calmed down." I am happy to hear that Phyrra isn't still upset, knowing that she is doing better seems to put my mind at ease since I don't have to worry about her for the time being. I respond simply "Great, tell Yang she has my eternal gratitude."

It'll all work itself out in time, now I can talk to Phyrra and go from there.

 _ **Yang you are amazing.**_


	8. Chapter 8: The Unofficial Date

**Ok just wanted to do a quick authors not here to explain two things, the first is I wanted to apologise for this chapter being a day late. I have been sick so I haven't been writing as much as I should, and the second just a quick thing about next week's chapter (which I promise will be on time). Next week's chapter will be set a week or so farther forward than the events of chapter eight, so don't be confused. Thats it guys thanks again for reading, if you enjoyed this chapter be sure to follow me and the story. I post every week (mostly on wednesdays this chapter being the exception) and send me your feedback please! I need your reviews to make the story better so please do that. Anyway i'll see you guys in the next chapter.**

POV: Ruby Rose

Chapter Eight: The Unofficial Date

Weiss and I make our way from the airpad and back towards the shopping district of Vale, when we are about a block and a half away from the docks we come across a small corner cafe. My stomach starts grumbling loudly as I catch the smell of the place "Oh Weiss, can we stop and get something to eat pleeeease?" For a moment I thought for sure she was going to say no or get upset with me yet she did neither. Weiss just looked at me smiled, and much to my surprise says. "Sure that sounds good."

My surprise must catch her attention causing her to giggle, briefly taking my hand to lead me making me blush. Unfortunately the moment doesn't last long as Weiss releases my hand when we reach the cafe, as we enter the smell of fresh baked treats overloads my senses. The cafe is quite small with only about ten tables occupying the small space, there is a path through the center of the room that leads up to the front counter. I quickly make my way to the front counter, excited to see a fresh baked batch of chocolate chip cookies being placed in the clear display case.

My mouth begins watering as I continue to stare at the cookies, though I am suddenly distracted by Weiss who is now at my side looking annoyed. "You really need some help, you are absolutely addicted to sugar it is just plain unhealthy!" Weiss continues her scolding but my attention starts to drift back to the cookies, Weiss notices this and lets out a loud sigh. "Ruby are you even listening to me?"

I feel guilty at the question because I haven't been listening to her, blushing out of embarrassment I look at the floor. "Sorry Weiss, the cookies were just so tempting I can't help it." Weiss shakes her head silently out of annoyance, while simultaneously pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and pointer finger. In an attempt to lower Weiss's annoyance with me I say, "Weiss if it'll make you happy i'll cut back on the cookies from now on, I promise." Weiss seems surprised and happy by my promise, though she does seem sceptical.

"Oh really, so when are you going to start?" She asks inquisitively, wanting to impress Weiss I decide to go big on my commitment. "I'll start right now, I won't even have one cookie." I cross my arms even turning my back to the display case in an attempt to prove that I am serious, the action leaving Weiss surprised. "Well that's a little harsh, you can have a couple cookies." I am excited for a moment but it quickly turns to suspicion, realizing that Weiss could be trying to test me. My uncertainty must have been obvious because Weiss speaks up again.

"What do you think i'm trying to trick you or something, you can have a few and then we'll start." Weiss is polite but firm, showing that she has my best intrest at heart but at the same time won't take no for an answer.

 _ **Princess you never cease to amaze me.**_

I smile brightly at the slight affection Weiss is showing for me, "Ok that sounds fair enough to me princess." Weiss blushes at my usage of the nickname I have given her, especially in public though she says nothing. Only silently shooting me a look of discomfort to show how she is, which only causes me to giggle. "Well what do you want for lunch?" Weiss asks as she moves from my side over to the counter to place our order, I look briefly up at the menu that is hanging above the counter to find something I would like.

"I'll have a turkey and cheese panini please." Weiss orders me my sandwich as well as three of the chocolate chip cookies and a simple tuna salad for herself, after a few minutes the person behind the counter hands Weiss the tray that is holding our food. Weiss pays with her card and we find a table to sit down. We take a seat at a table in the middle of the room, with Weiss sitting facing the door and myself across from her. We both eat our food quietly, though I eat much faster than Weiss as usual. I save my cookies leaving them till last, when we are both finished I smile at Weiss again speaking cheerfully, "Well that was great! How much do I owe you for lunch princess?"

Weiss's blush returns, but this time instead of being uncomfortable she just smiles. Which in turn only makes me smile brighter than before, that smile of hers gives me butterflies and I hope that never changes. "You don't owe me anything Ruby, lunch is my treat. Think of it as a thank you for coming to Vale with me." The opportunity is to perfect to pass up I joke with Weiss, "Ok i'm sure that I can find some way to return the favor." I wink at Weiss giggling the older girl looks confused for a moment before realizing what i'm implying, deepening her already bright blush till her cheeks are the same color as my cape.

This only causes me to laugh harder at Weiss who continues to grow more and more uncomfortable, in an attempt to make her more comfortable I lean forward in my chair and ask. "Do you wanna get out of here and do something?" I say quietly to Weiss even though the restaurant is empty besides ourselves and the employee over behind the counter, "Sure that sounds great." Weiss replys happily while standing from her seat, I do the same and we head out the door stepping out into the street.

 _ **What to do...what to do?**_

We walk down the street making our way back towards the shopping district, after a few minutes we reach the familiar dust shop we had visited only about an hour before. After passing the dust shop we walk for about three blocks glancing through the store windows that line the streets as we go along, one shop in particular catches my attention. The shop windows are decorated with custom printed t-shirts and hoodies and such, they look amazing and I immediately want to go inside.

I look at Weiss and point to the door saying, "Weiss look at this!" walking over to the door flinging it open and stepping inside with Weiss following close behind, the store is basically a large square shaped room. Shelves holding t-shirts with different logos printed on them line the right side wall, the left half of the store is dominated by circular racks that have sweatshirts and other articles of clothing hanging from them, each with different designs printed on them. On the far back wall is a counter with a cash register, there is a tall blonde girl stood behind the counter who greets us as we enter.

"Hi, welcome to _Bare Thread Clothing_ is there anything you two need help with?" The tall girl behind the counter asks happily. "No just browsing, thanks." I say courteously and as Weiss and I start walking through the shop, I go around from rack to rack examining all the different logos and designs that the store has to offer. One particular piece of clothing catches my eye, a black sweatshirt with a large red rose design in the center.

 _ **This is awesome!**_

I search the rack finding my size and unclipping my cape, placing the crimson cloak at my feet while I slip the hoodie over my head then replacing it afterwards. I look great! but wanting to get a second opinion I go to find Weiss, I eventually find her on the other side of the store looking at the shelfs full of shirts. Tapping her on the shoulder to get her to turn around before I quietly say, "What do you think princess?" Weiss studies me for a few moments silently her face blank, when she is finished a smile crosses her lips. "It is very you, I love it."

I feel my cheeks turn red at the compliment, "It's settled then, i'm getting it." I say returning Weiss's smile, using my semblance I make my way over to the counter in a second. "I'll take this one please." I say to the girl behind the counter pointing at the sweatshirt, the girl nods pressing a few buttons on the cash register to add up the total I owe. "Ok that'll be thirty-five lien." Cheaper than I thought, I take out my wallet taking out the lien and hand it to the girl. She places the money in the cash register then looks back up to me "Thanks for shopping at _Bare Thread Clothing_ is there anything else I can help you with?"

I think for a moment, "Do you guys do alterations, like putting a custom design or something on one of these shirts?" The girl nods "Yes we do actually you just tell us what you want and we'll have it put on a shirt, should only take a few days at most."

 _ **I'll keep that in mind, might come in handy in the future.**_

I thank her and make my way back over to Weiss who is still where I left her, showing off my new jacket to my new girlfriend. Weiss smiles which in turn causes me to smile, until we are both just standing there silently smiling at one another. It's killing me not being able to show her any of my affection, finally I just can't take it anymore I look over to the counter to see that the checkout girl is nowhere to be seen and take my chance. I grab Weiss pulling her in close giving her a sweet kiss that lasts a good thirty seconds before I pull away from her, expecting to be confronted by an angry Weiss for breaking her no public affections rule I am ready to explain myself but she says nothing. She only stands there blushing looking somewhat shocked, then a smile crosses her lips and her gaze goes to the floor from what I presume to be embarrassment. Muttering a quiet "Dolt" as she looks at the ground, now I try to push my luck I grab Weiss's hand pulling the older girl in close once again.

In the attempt to steal another amazing kiss, but Weiss puts her hand on my chest effectively keeping me at arm's length. "Aw you're no fun princess." I say pouting, but Weiss quickly defends. "I said not in public, I don't want you to deal with all the hassle that comes with being involved with my family. Come on we still have about an hour before we have to head back to the docks, that's plenty of time to do something" Her tone is kind but at the same time leaves no room for me to try to argue.

 _ **I'll make up for that later then…**_

As we go to leave I am surprised that Weiss actually takes my hand, probably her way for compensating for the no public showings of affection though I am happy about it all the same. Weiss pushes the door open, and we once again step out into the street. As we start walking up the street again we hear a friendly voice calling out to us from behind. "Ruuuby, Weisss." Weiss releases my hand as we turn to see who is calling our names, happily skipping up the sidewalk to us is Nora with Ren following close behind at a leisurely pace.

"Hey Ren, hey Nora. What are you guys up to?" I ask curiously and slightly annoyed though I don't show it…if they hadn't showed up I'd still be holding hands with my princess. Ren just shrugs his shoulders, while Nora is the one to answer, enthusiastically as usual. "I got excited when Weiss brought up Vale this morning and before I knew it we were here, decided to go shopping to make the best of the trip." I nod in acknowledgment the answer is very Nora, she always going off to different places for absolutely no reason other than she thought it sounded fun.

"So any plans or are you just going for a walk through town?" I ask not really expecting a straight answer from Nora, I doubt she knows herself. "In honesty I didn't really know what I was gonna do when we got here, so yeah just walking around."

"OK, well we were just on our way back to the airdock to wait for the ship to head back to Beacon have fun on your walk and cya at school." I hastily say in an attempt to get Weiss alone again, Hoping that we could hold hands again. I am excited when my hopes become reality just after we leave Ren and Nora behind I slid my hand into Weiss's interlocking our fingers, Weiss does the same and we walk hand and hand the whole way back to the docks. We arrive a little early so we take a seat on a bench, while we wait I rest my head on Weiss's shoulder.

Which she happily allows sense there is no one around, after about ten minutes the airship arrives and we climb on board and before long we are on our way back to Beacon. We stand staring out the large window of the airship, I lean in close to Weiss and whisper. "Did you have a good day princess?" To which she responds happily, "Yes today was amazing Ruby, thank you." Before planting a gentle kiss on my forehead.

 _ **She's right today was perfect, I can't think of any better way to spend a day than with my princess.**_


	9. Chapter 9: World's Collide

POV: Jason Vidar

Chapter Nine: Worlds Collide

A slight breeze picks up as Yang and I lay motionless under the tree just outside team RWBY's dorm, Yang laying next to me with her head on my shoulder and her arms wrapped around mine. We are both exhausted as we've been training together all afternoon, the idea of fighting each other took a little getting used to but after a few days it's almost second nature. It's been a week or so since I first met the beautiful blonde through a rather odd set of circumstances, that ended with me getting shot in the chest. But these events led to me dating Yang which honestly makes it worth it.

So far the move to Beacon is going great, my classes so far are easy and I even have a few with Yang which is another plus. It seems at least so far that the decision to move to Beacon was a great one, The one thing that is bothering me however is that Jaune hasn't told me how things went with talking to Pyrrha. Though I figure he probably hasn't talked to her at all by the way they have been acting around each other, they don't even want to be in the same room together. Which means that'll I'll have to probably step in and talk to Jaune again, to think that someone could be that clueless still amazes me.

"Jason" Yang's voice brings me back to reality.

"What's up firecracker?" I say which earns a giggle from Yang before she shifts herself onto my lap, placing her knees on either side of my legs and her arms on my chest. "I was just wondering what you were thinking about, you seemed like you were spacing out you normally do that when you're thinking." Smiling half asleep Yang patiently waits for my answer, I wrap my girlfriend in my arms before answering.

"I was just thinking about the whole Jaune and Pyrrha situation, they haven't been talking since. I told Jaune how he should talk to Pyrrha about the whole thing but, I don't think he took my advice. I don't think he's talked to her at all in honesty, which isn't helping in the slightest." I sigh looking down at Yang who has buried her head in my chest.

"Well it sounds like you'll have to talk to him again, because now it's not just hurting them two it's hurting your whole team." Yang says sleepily, her words mumbled into my chest. As hard as it is to hear her, she is right if those two can't be around each other comfortably when we start doing missions it will cause problems. Coming up with an idea that requires a little help, I say to Yang, "Well then i'm recruiting you to help me get those two to talk." Yang groans, sitting up in my lap so that she is looking down at me. "Fine but you owe me." She says leaning in planting a quick peck on my forehead to tease me.

Out of nowhere Gore is suddenly at our side, nudging Yang with his head trying to knock her over, but he's proving to be little more than an annoyance. He isn't being aggressive but rather is trying to make a point that he is there, and that I am his friend. Ever since Yang and I have started getting serious he seems to have become jealous of any affection that we show to one and other. "Gore get out of here!" I yell at him annoyed that we can't have a moment to ourselves without him being a nuisance, the large wolf gives up on moving Yang and instead moves to me.

When Gore reaches me he attempts to get me to give my attention to him, he does this by giving me a sad look and whining quietly which I do my best to ignore. To avoid Gore's pestering I grab him by the collar and pull him to my side, commanding him to lay down next to the two of us which he does without hesitation. Yang decides to make a joke out of the situation responding to the command as well, "Ok sounds good to me." Laughing as she lays her head on my chest like before quickly making herself comfortable.

I lay back my head within an inch of the tree behind us and with Gore resting comfortably on my left and Yang resting comfortably on top of me, I am finally alone with my thoughts once more. Which is helpful because I still need to figure out how exactly we are gonna get Pyrrha and Jaune into the same room, let alone make them talk. Considering the two of them have barely even been able to be in the dorm together it won't be an easy task. I think for a long time contemplating all the different options, the good and the bad and finally arrive at a good resolution to the problem.

I decided that I will message Jaune telling him to come to the training room while Yang does the same with Pyrrha. So that when the two of them show up Yang and I are there to make sure things progress, leaving them no other option than to talk or stay locked in there together until they change their mind or someone dies.

Satisfied with my solution I take a deep breath to relax myself being very careful to not wake Yang or Gore in the process, it is then that I start to notice my eyelids feel heavier than they did before. Concluding that the practice match with Yang is finally catching up with me I close my eyes and drift into a deep sleep.

The smell of blood is all too familiar as I stand paralyzed in my perch overlooking the small snow covered field, the white stained heavily by dark crimson blood. Grimm bodies litter the field only contaminating the once peaceful place further, the usual figure stands in the middle of the field surrounded by a growing number of grim but something seems different this time.

 _ **Is that...NO!**_

I scream curses at the top of my lungs, the pattern has changed for some reason the usual figure representing my younger brother has been replaced with Yang. She is surrounded and fighting and I am powerless to help her, I can't take it I scream "No! Not again...No one else." Over and over until my voice is hoarse. I scream again and finally my body responds, I regain movement jumping from the tree my spear in hand. I land hard on the snow packed earth and start charging across the field towards Yang, rapidly closing the distance but i'm too slow the largest of the creatures has already lunged, there is a scream and then all goes silent...

I awake to Yang shaking me trying to bring me out of the nightmare, i'm overcome by everything that is happening in my own mind I react out of instinct. I sit up reaching out and grabbing Yang by her shoulders staring into her lilac eyes looking panicked, she just responds by placing a hand on my chest and easing me gently back to the ground. While also whispering to me in an attempt to calm me down, Gore is at my side as well laying his head on my shoulder to let me know he is there.

 _ **What the hell is happening**_

After a few moments my panic subsides and my emotions hit me like a truck all at once, I can feel my eyes begin to tear up but there is nothing I can do to prevent it. The tears start rolling down my cheeks as I start to mumble "Not you, I can't lose you too." I feel myself shaking I have no control of what's happening I can only watch my own actions from an outside perspective, Yang grabs my left hand and clutches it tightly while she props me up slightly to be able to lock me in a tight embrace.

My head is resting on Yang's shoulder I continue to sift suffer through the attack of emotions I am currently subjected to. After a few minutes the sobbing subsides and I start to regain control of myself, Yang's presence is very comforting and soon the moment passes entirely returning me to my normal state. I sit up again this time without argument from yang and without saying a word I stand turning away from Yang out of embarrassment, instead electing to stare at the tree hiding my face from her.

I hear Yang stand behind me, but before she can say anything I speak up without facing her. "I'm...i'm sorry about that, it happens ever once and a while it's-" My voice breaks mid sentence forcing me to pause but she has a right to know. "It's a recurring nightmare I have about something that happened a few years back that cause me to loose someone close to me, but it was different this time"

"What was different this time?" Yang questions as she wraps her arms around my waist from behind. I continue to look away from Yang still too embarrassed to face her after what just happened, but she refuses to let me slide. "Jason please talk to me, I want to help you and I can only do that if you let me." With a sigh of reluctance I turn around so that I am now face to face with Yang, who is looking at me with a mix of concern and annoyance at my stubbornness.

I start to speak but instead Yang leans in grabbing the back of my head and pulling me in for a long slow kiss. At first I am caught of guard and surprised by the sudden kiss but I adjust quickly and one up her action with one of my own, pulling her in as close as possible until the two of us are pressed together. I let my weight fall backwards against the tree behind me helping me keep myself upright since I am rather off balance, we stay like this for a few minutes before Yang pulls away from my hold.

"Just so you know I care." Yang says giggling "Now explain to me what's going on with this nightmare of yours." She says firmly practically commanding an answer, I go through the whole story explaining how the dream represents how I lost my brother Sammy to a pack of beowulf's. As well as how I have a deep hatred for them because of these events, before finally explaining that instead of my brother being killed in the dream this time she was in his place. As I explain Yang stands there quietly, keeping total eye contact with me while she listens to what I have to say.

When I have finish she stands silently processing all the information that was just dumped on her all at once, when she finally does speak it is slow making it obvious she is analyzing every word she say before she says it to avoid it coming out badly. "Jason I'm sorry to hear about your brother, but you have to realize I'm not him I can definitely handle myself in a fight. I do appreciate your concern though it's very flattering but also unnecessary, for now let's just focus on things that we can control. Like Jaune and Pyrrha any ideas?"

I consider what Yang says deciding that she is right. I am just overreacting to the nightmare Yang is more than capable in a fight that much is obvious, worrying about things that will likely never happen will just drive me insane. "You're right I'm sorry, I guess I'm just worried about losing you now after we are just getting together. As for the whole Jaune and Pyrrha situation I thought of a solution before I fell asleep. I'll leave Gore in your dorm room then you call Pyrrha in about five minutes and ask her to come train with you in the gym. Since there is only one entrance I'll do the same with Jaune, which will allow us to get them together and lock them in until they decide to finally talk it over." Yang seemingly content with my plan nods in acknowledgment.

About twenty minutes later we see Jaune walk into the gym dressed in his training outfit and are now patiently waiting for Pyrrha to show up, though I am suddenly questioning what we are doing. "This is the right thing to do right? Like they seem to be made for one another." To which Yang responds simply with "Just like us." Her comment catches me off guard but before I can question her about it further, Pyrrha walks through the door into the gym. With the two of them in the same we rush to the door and slam it shut and lock it before they notice one and other.

Which causes Pyrrha to turn towards us in complete surprise, "What's going on, what are you two doing?" She pauses scanning the room, "Why is Jaune here? Open the door right now and let me out"

But I just answer with a simple "Nope"

"Why not!" Coming from both Jaune and Pyrrha alike.

"Neither of you are allowed out until you talk, both of you have been ignoring each other. When let's be honest here you both know you have feelings for one another, Jaune you're just clueless. I noticed Pyrrha's feelings for you on my second day here, but you hadn't until I told you about it and even then you didn't make a move. And you Pyrrha you're just too...ugh well polite to make a move yourself, you both need a push. So here we are, to give you two a push "

Pyrrha shows a completely horrified look as I explain, turning to face Jaune. "You know, how long have you known?" Which Jaune reply's awkwardly "About a week now, like he said he told me."

"Why didn't you say something then?" The hurt is clear as day in Pyrrha's voice as she waits for a reply from her idiotic romantic interest, "I...I didn't know what to say Pyrrha, if i'm honest I just get so nervous when I talk to you. I felt like that if I were to say something I would just mess up again and it would end in embarrassment, and ruin the awesome friendship we have." When she hears this Pyrrha gets a huge smile and her cheeks start to grow increasingly red, until she runs over to Jaune and much to his surprise hugs him tightly.

"Oh Jaune that's so sweet but there is nothing that you could ever say that would change my feelings for you." Jaune turns red as a beet and stands still in shock, Pyrrha rears back looking into Jaune's eyes looking slightly confused. Seeing that Jaune has absolutely no clue on what to do I pipe up yet again to save him. "For the love of god Jaune kiss her already!" Jaune flinches slightly out of shock but finally gets the hint and leans in and finally gives Pyrrha a long overdue kiss.

 _ **Well that went well.**_

Satisfied that our work here is done I turn to Yang "Come on firecracker I think our work here is done." I extend a hand out for Yang to take hold of which she does and together we make our way towards the door, just as we are about to leave I hear Jaune call out. "Hey guys thank you-" He pauses for a moment to look at Pyrrha who is smiling brighter than ever, "For everything Jason especially."

"No problem just don't go messing it up, and Pyrrha remember how clueless he is and take that into account before you get mad at him." Which only makes Pyrrha laugh and Juane look uncomfortable, "Will do, thank you both." And with that the two turn their attention back to one and other leaning in for another long kiss.

Yang and I make our way from the gym heading towards the team RWBY dorm room to pick up Gore our hands interlaced the whole way, when we get about three quarters of the way to the dorm room I stop. Yang goes to question but before she can I give her a quick kiss before I continue, "Just the first small part of the large payment I owe you for being so understanding and nice about earlier." This earning a very pleased and confident look from Yang, but before the moment goes any further an arrow lands at our feet interrupting us. We both ready our weapons taking up defensive positions to protect from the unknown attacker.

"Well what do we have here" A oddly familiar female voice echoes from an unknown location

 _ **Wait I know that voice…**_

I know who it is before the figure seems to almost materialize in front of us...The unknown attacker is actually very well known to me at least, the girl standing in front of us is one of my best friends from Atlas Jade Hunter.


	10. Chapter 10:Old Friends and the New Flame

POV: Yang Xiao Long

Chapter Ten: The Old Friend and the New Flame

The sudden surprise of an arrow impacting on the ground at our feet makes me jump, though Jason seems to remain entirely calm. Just turning to face the direction of the unknown and unseen attacker, his spear hybrid in hand. I also ready my Ember Celica, the shotgun gauntlets taking on their full combat form. As I look at him it amazes me how even with how hurt and emotional he is under the surface he still keeps his cool around everyone, everyone except for me that is. The moment shared between the two of us earlier today shows how much he cares for me and only makes me fall harder for him.

We hear the attacker before we see her, she speaks in an almost mocking tone that also has a trace of sarcasm to it. "Well what do we have here?" Her question remains unanswered as we say nothing I glance at Jason who seems to recognize the voice but is unable to place it, out of nowhere the unknown antagonist seems to almost appear in front of us. I examine her noticing that she is around 5'5 with black hair that is dyed purple at the tips and blue eyes that have a purple line running horizontally through them. She is wearing a black and purple blouse with a pair of black slacks that somewhat resemble Jason's sweatpants because of the vertical green stripe that go down the sides. Something seems to be missing though as I look her over I notice she has no arrows on her. Did she just have one?

The weapon she carries with her at first seems to be just a simple longbow, but as I examine it further I notice that the last three inches or so were the bow begins to curve are actually blades of some sort. With the bowstring being strung through a matching set of holes punched into the ends. This leading me to believe that the bow probably splits into a melee weapon of some kind, a silence hangs in the air for a few moments. Jason slings his spear back over his shoulder, while still maintaining that same blank expression of his he speaks for the first time since we were interrupted.

"Jade? What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in Atlas?" Jason sounds genuinely surprised as he begins to walk toward her leaving me standing in the same place. Instead of giving him an answer she instead smiles, slinging her bow over her left shoulder. Seeing that there is no longer a threat I trigger my gauntlets to return to their passive state, but never taking my eyes off of this strange girl that seems to have a relationship of some kind with Jason. The two of them share a simple embrace before Jason realizes he forgot about me, he quickly turns back to face me introducing us.

"Oh what am I doing, Yang this is Jade Hunter she was one of my best friends from Atlas. Ive known her since we were kids she's like a little sister to me." He pauses turning back to Jade "Jade this is my girlfriend Yang." His tone radiating confidence, jade nods to me but her smile is gone, making me feel that she isn't very fond of me.

 _ **Well the fact that he see's her as a sister probably means I have nothing to worry about.**_

The fact that Jason introduces me as his girlfriend makes me beyond happy, even though we've been dating a little over a week we haven't really discussed official titles. Jason seems to notice the look Jade gave me and simply says "Behave!" Followed by them both starting to laugh when I ask what's so funny Jason just waves me off like it's a joke he has made a million times. This giving me the impression that Jade probably has a history of coming off as hostile, I decide it may be better to ask Jason about it later when we are alone and not let it bother me. So I just smile and go along with it.

Jason seems pleased that I found his joke amusing and continues on with their conversation. "So Jade what are you doing here? Like honestly, you were doing fine at Atlas I thought we talked about this?" His tone shifting from surprise to annoyance, "I know I just wanted to make sure you were ok, plus I came to see the Vytal Festival. You haven't messaged or called since a week ago and I was starting to worry! We talked about that as well if you remember" Jade replies while shifting her gaze at me, Jason seems uncomfortable shifting his weight with a slight blush starting to cover his face as he answers. "I've been a little preoccupied" As he says this he gestures towards my general direction.

Since I am standing slightly behind him and off to the right, Jade just laughs it off. "Yeah it looks like it, i'm glad you finally got yourself a girl to replace me." Earning another laugh from Jason, at hearing this my jealousy flares slightly and I assume my eyes start to take on their notorious red tint. Jason notices this and grabs my hand which calms me down almost immediately, He leans in and speaks softly to me. "No need for that firecracker, it's nothing like that Jade is gay." Jade hearing what Jason said also adds "That's right firecracker he should be more worried about me stealing you." Jade states winking at me, stealing Jason's special nickname for me.

Her use of the special name bringing my anger back around, "Do yourself a favor and don't call me that, only Jason can. Unless of course you wanna take a tour of the medical wing on a stretcher." In an attempt to defuse the tension Jason puts himself directly between us turning to look at me giving me a stern look and shouting, "Calm down!" But his efforts are wasted when Jade pipes in "Yea you're starting to look a little Yangry!" Before I even have a chance to respond Jason turns abruptly to Jade and in an attempt to reinforce my earlier point.

"I'd be very careful if i were you she wasn't kidding about the stretcher, I have personal experience." Jade realizes that she has stepped too far and apologies "Sorry my sense of humor takes some getting used to, to say the least, I didn't mean anything by it. I do think I should say thank you, it seems as though you really helped Jason get back to his old self. Which was something I wasn't even able to do, so thank you."

Hearing her apologise so quickly after the argument causes me to take a quick one eighty, leaving me a little confused but I accept her apology anyway. "It's alright I guess I owe you one as well. Jason calls me firecracker because of my short tempered kinda personality, and well I guess that was a perfect example I was quick to jealousy when it wasn't needed."

Jason steps in to change the subject, presumably trying to get as far away from that topic as possible. "So Jade, how are Lucy and your parents doing, do they know you're here?" Jade is now the one who looks uncomfortable while she answers, "Mom and dad are fine but they don't know i'm here, they think that i'm out on an extended hunting trip. I did tell Lucy I was going to be gone for a while." Jason's irritation is growing at the girls irresponsibility, "Well don't you think you should call them? Because if you don't I will, you know I will."

Jade sighs loudly out of defeat knowing she is beaten with no way to argue. "Fine i'll call them first thing tomorrow."

"No-" Jason says handing her his scroll, "Now Jade." Irritation clear in his voice because of her continued attempts to dodge her responsibilities. With Jade not having any other option than to take Jason's scroll which already had the number dialed she reluctantly does so, walking a little ways away from us to place the call leaving Jason and I alone for a few moments. I take advantage of this time by pulling Jason close to me so that there is less than an inch between us, whispering in his ear "So I'm your girlfriend am I?" with a huge smirk plastered on my face. Jason being caught of his guard stammers. "Sorry I… I didn't realize, uh is it ok if I call you my girlfriend?"

I reply by grabbing the stammering idiot and giving him a long deep kiss, even going so far as to slip my tongue into his mouth much to his surprise. Our tongues begin fighting for dominance of the small space, during this time I check on Jade periodically from over Jason's shoulder. When I notice that she has finished her call I pull back, not wanting to be interrupted by her and give her more material for her jokes later on. "Better than ok, it's perfect." I giggle as Jason smiles and tries to form a response but fails horribly, and just ends up stumbling over his own words.

 _ **He's so cute when he's caught off guard.**_

I raise my finger to his lips effectively silencing him while giving him a teasing smile before Jade announces her presence. "Ok happy now Jason I called my parents and told them where I am and now they are pissed, the only reason i'm not on my way back to Atlas right now is because they trust you." Looking over Jason's shoulder I can see that Jade is standing with her arms crossed and has one knee bent so that she leans slightly to the right side, her posture showing her obvious annoyance. Since his back is still towards Jade, Jason is unable to see this so he leans in close and whispers softly in my ear.

"I swear I'm gonna kill her, can we continue this later?" He leans back slightly looking down at me due to the height difference between the two of us, I smile blushing slightly and nod my head in agreement. This in turn makes Jason smile as he mouths the words "Sounds great" before turning around to face Jade.

"See that wasn't so hard now was it?" He says in a matter of fact tone showing his annoyance. "Look I even helped you out, you get to stay now because i'm so responsible and awesome. Did you tell everybody I said hi?" A smile plastered on his face as he says this, Jade rolls her eyes at the comment but answers him anyway.

"Yes I did, Lucy and mom say hello and they miss you. While dad to make it clear that you are to keep an eye on me and see that I don't get into trouble, or you'll regret it… So the usual." From where I am standing I can't see Jason's face but he does nod his head when she is finished. "That's what he always says, you'd think by now he'd know that I always watch out for you. Well whatever I guess, so where are you staying while you're here?" Jade sheepishly looks at the ground "Eh well... about that I didn't arrange anything, so I don't really have a place to stay. I figured I would look for a hotel after I had found you, didn't think It would happen so quickly though."

Jason is clearly furious with her at this point shakes his head, "So yet again I have to clean up a mess that you made, because you didn't take a few minutes to think things through… What am I going to do with you? Do you realize I'm not always going to be there to fix things? This right here is why your sister is the responsible one."

Before Jade has a chance to respond I jump in, cutting off the ensuing argument. "If you need a place to stay I guess you could stay with my team and I temporarily" I offer, "Although you'll probably have to sleep on the floor." Jade and Jason both are shocked by the offer, Jade being the one who replies. "Well that's really nice but you don't even know me, I could be a crazy lunatic or something. Why would you be so trusting so quickly?"

"Simple, Jason knows you and trusts you, and I trust his judgement." Jason chuckles to himself and begins taunting Jade. "Well you are a crazy lunatic, but i've known you long enough to know you aren't a large treat." After saying this Jason turns to his right slightly to be able to face me. "Are you sure that the rest of your team won't mind though Yang?" I think about it for a moment and the only person I can imagine having a problem with the situation is Weiss, but even then she has been a lot more relaxed lately than usual. Come to think of it she has also been spending a lot more time with Ruby than usual I guess she is finally warming up to Rubes, at any rate it shouldn't be a problem.

"Yeah it'll be fine, you'll just be sleeping in there anyway. Just a word of warning though don't touch Ruby's cookies or anything that belongs to Weiss, other than that you should be fine." Jason has a strange look on his face but says nothing only nodding in agreement.

 _ **I'll have to ask him about that later**_

"Just give me a second to text them and let them know and have them meet us in the dorm so we can introduce you to everyone." I add just to be sure, I pull out my scroll opening my messages and sending Ruby a quick message.

 _Hey rubes Jason and I are heading back to the dorm with a friend, can you get Weiss and Blake and meet us there?_

After a few minutes there is still no response, I figure that Ruby is probably just busy so I look up from my scroll but Jason suddenly looks panicked. "Oh crap Gore is probably getting anxious with me being gone so long, I need to get back to him Jade you can follow us back to the room. " I nod in agreement and take Jason's hand as we start to walk back to the dorm, Jade trailing leisurely behind.

As we walk Jade walks quietly behind us occasionally commenting on something she sees like the statues or the look of the school and such, Jason still seems annoyed at her but still says nothing other than the occasional response to one of the questions. After about five or so minutes of walking we reach the entrance to the student dorms, Jason opens the door for Jade and myself and waits for us to walk through before he follows. As he steps through he quickens his pace to catch up with me and intertwine our hands once more, making me smile.

After we enter we take an immediate left and start making our way up the two flights of stairs that stand between us and the team RWBY dorm. When we reach the top we take another left and start making our way down the red carpeted hallway until we finally reach the dorm. I step in front of Jason, releasing his hand and use my scroll to unlock the door stepping inside with Jason close behind me. The scene before us is strange to say the least, on the left hand side of the room on Rubes is lying asleep with her head on Weiss's lap and a very comfortable looking Gore cuddled up beside her.

The trio still hasn't noticed our entrance but Gore lifts his head at the sound of the door closing behind us, when he see's Jason he quickly jumps from the bed and silently runs over to greet us. With the sudden movement from Gore, Weiss turns her head to the look and starts flipping out when she notices me standing in the room. Weiss quickly moves Ruby's head from her lap and jumps up from the bed while stumbling over her words in an attempt to explain the situation. "Oh… hey Yang, Jason." She trails off when she notices Jade who is standing behind the two of us, looking confused.

Ruby is now sitting upright on the bed after being woken by Weiss moving her, notices that Jason and I are now standing there which causes her cheeks to turn a shade of red that rivals her cape. "Hi Yang, hi Jason." She manages to squeak out nervously looking down at the bed below her.

 _ **So my hunch was right, and looks like I wasn't the only one to notice.**_

Jade speaks up with a twinge of defeat in her voice says "Guessing those two are together making them off limits." It's hard to tell if she is joking or not, though I'm hoping she is. Weiss obviously irked pipes up "We are not together-together so get that thought out of your head." Ruby obviously hurt by this looks at Weiss. "We aren't… I know we never talked about it but was hoping we could..." She trails off leaving Jade the opportunity to jump in the middle

"If she doesn't want you I'll take you, your just adorable. Love the cape by the way." Jade involving Ruby in one of her jokes sets me off but before I can say a word, Weiss practically screams. "YOU WILL NOT SHE IS MINE!" Shocked by her own reaction she blushes and runs to the bathroom slamming the door behind her, leaving Jason, Jade, Ruby, and myself in the room utterly confused.

 **I always knew ice queen was easy to mess with but this?**

Jason sensing the seriousness of the situation grabs Jade by her collar and starts to drag her off "Looks like you got your hands full at the moment, you don't really need another unnecessary distraction right now. Text me once everything has calmed down." Jade grunting in disgust at being blamed for what is going on but doesn't dare argue, only follows reluctantly. But just as Jason goes to leave I stop him.

"Jason it's fine, I already had a feeling these two were more than likely going to end up together even if they didn't know themselves. I can't say i'm entirely happy about it because i'm always going to be protective of my little sis, but I will try my best to be positive and supportive." I turn to face Ruby giving her a reassuring smile before continuing, "Though I don't know if I can trust you too alone in here anymore." I wink at Ruby who giggles at my little joke as she stands up from the bed, making her way to the bathroom door. She opens it which much to my surprise shows it is unlocked.

She steps inside and closes the door behind her which I consider contesting but decide it's better to let them be, instead moving across the room to sit on my bed. I pat the space to my right as a signal for Jason to join me, which he does happily with Gore following close behind. Jason places his arm across my back with his hand resting just above my left hip, while I rest my head on his shoulder to make myself more comfortable. Gore meanwhile positions himself in such a way so that he is able to lay behind us with his back resting against ours, making his presence known.

Jade seats herself on the floor in front of Weiss's bed using the frame of it to support her back allowing her to sit upright. With my head so close to Jason I whisper softly to him. "So why did you look so unhappy when I said Jade could stay here?" Jason stays silent for a few moments before responding. "You'll think it's stupid."

"No I won't I promise." I say trying to get an answer out of him, which succeeds as he sighs "My only two problems with the idea is honestly Jade is always a massive pain when it comes to being in a new place, she did this all the time when we were kids. She just runs off without thinking and I always end up having to pick up after her, or I have to constantly follow her around to make sure she doesn't get herself into trouble with her mouth. That coupled with the fact that having Jade here constantly we would get less time together...alone you know."

"How much of a mess can she make? It doesn't look like she brought anything with her," I interject, Jason sighs. "Don't underestimate her ability to create problems, that's one of the things she's had a talent for, that and her bow." Jade seems to realize that we are talking about her and decides to butt in. "Hey if you two are gonna say something about me then you can atleast say it to my face." I say nothing but Jason doesn't back down from her challenge.

"Ok, I was just talking about how I always have to bail you out of trouble whenever we go somewhere. Also I was just mentioning to Yang that I am really getting tired of how irresponsible you are, your big mouth, and your ability to create problems for everyone around you." I expect Jade to be somewhat hurt by this but without missing a beat Jade says "Oh is that all, I could've told you that" Sarcasm heavy in her tone.

In the interest of ending this before it goes all night, I step in. "Well how about we go get food, I'm starved and we can do proper introductions when everyone is together." I hop off my bed landing beside Jade who is now standing up looking at Jason and I. As I walk over to the bathroom door I can hear Jason and Gore hop down as well, when I reach the door I open it without thinking and poke my head inside seeing weiss sitting on the toilet with ruby in her lap. Their foreheads pressed together and they are staring into each other's eyes.

I don't want to interrupt my baby sis's intimate moment, but I feel it is an obligation of mine to keep this from going too far to fast, I fake a cough to politely interrupt. Ruby is startled and falls to the floor, with Weiss starting to laugh until she realized I'm who startled Ruby. Which causes her to quickly try to compose herself and start yelling "You're such a barbarian don't you know how to knock! What's so important that you had to interrupt us?" I chuckle slightly at the differences in their reactions, responding to her "Wanted to tell you we were going for dinner and ask you two to join us."

Weiss Leans over and starts to lift Ruby to her feet with her face still red as she responds "Alright lead on, we are right behind you." I doubt that they will be quick but decide to leave them be closing the bathroom door once more, and after a few minutes the duo finally exit from the bathroom. The five of us leave the room and start to make our way to the cafeteria, while we walk I text blake to meet us there.

 _Hey kitty cat, we are having dinner you gotta be there ASAP it's important._

Blake replies almost instantly, _Ok i'll meet you guys there._ Good, everyone is on their way and everything is working out for now atleast. Hopefully it will stay this way...


	11. Chapter 11:Life After the Wall Shattered

POV: Pyrrha Nikos

Chapter Eleven: Life After the Wall Shattered

"For the love of god Jaune kiss her already!" Jaune flinches slightly in my grasp at the comment showing how uneasy he is, thankfully he listens to Jason's words and leans in. Our lips meeting for our first long and compassionate kiss. My heart is pounding in my chest as I wrap my arms even tighter around Jaune bringing him as close as possible, with him doing the same to me until our bodies are pressed together with no room left between the two of us.

When Jaune hears Jason and Yang start to leave he pulls away from me slightly to be able to turn his head while not moving the rest of his body. "Hey guys thank you-" He pauses looking back to me, a radiant smile on my face. "For everything, Jason especially." Jaune finishes the thought while looking at me. "No problem just don't go messing it up, and Pyrrha remember how clueless he is and take that into account before you get mad at him." Jason jokes making me giggle and Jaune look slightly embarrassed but still ecstatic, this time I am the one to reply.

"Will do, thank you both" I keep my answer brief before turning my attention back to Jaune, leaning in for another long amazing kiss. Our embrace tightening once more as time seemingly fades away, the only thing in the world that matters is the two of us. I start to feel my body growing warmer and my mind is racing which is accompanied by the pounding of my heart, i've never met someone who could make me feel this way before which only makes it all the more special.

We pause for a moment pulling back to catch our breath and placing our foreheads together so we can stare into each other's eyes, Jaune breaks the silence "Well… ugh where do we go from here?"

Wanting to keep the mood as light as possible, and also try to see that cute blush of his I decide to joke. "Well since we seem to have skipped the first date, maybe we should go get dinner" Jaune the gentleman he is immediately becomes flustered and turns red making my attempt a success. "P-Pyrrha I'm sorry I didn't even realize, I'll make it up to you I promise my sisters would expect nothing less it's the right thing to do." To calm his nerves I lean in and plant a brief kiss on his lips, which silences him almost instantly. "It's okay Jaune, I was only joking." I giggle at how worried he is, knowing it's just another way he shows that he cares.

Jaune relaxes seemingly relieved that I was just joking, smiling at me before adding "Well I still think I owe you dinner, what do yah say?" Matching his smile I reply "That sounds like a lovely idea." Jaune's smile brightens as he sheepishly reaches for my hand which I make easier by meeting his hand part way, interlocking our fingers and giving him a reassuring nod. "You don't have to be so nervous around me Jaune, I like you and there isn't a thing you could do that would change my feelings for you." Hearing this Jaune seems a little more at ease

"So Mrs. Nikos where would you like to go dinner, since it's our first date I don't think the cafeteria will cut it. I want to treat you to something much more memorable for our first official date." I think for a moment pulling out my scroll to check the time, seeing as it's only four in the afternoon we have some time to get ready if we want to go somewhere classy. "We could always go into Vale, I know a nice place we could go. It's more on the fancy side of things though so we will need some time to get ready, which works out great because we have about an hour and a half."

We walk hand in hand to the dorm room to get changed for dinner. Arriving at the dorm we notice that Ren and Nora are gone which is no big surprise, considering Nora is always off doing something with Ren following to keep her out of trouble. To be honest it's quite odd how often they are gone yet they are still passing all their classes but they don't typically come back beat up so I guess they are not causing trouble….or I guess it'd be more accurate to say ren keeps nora from causing trouble. Either way i'm not about to complain about having the entire room to ourselves, now more than ever.

We take turns getting a shower with Jaune being kind enough to let me go first. As I shower I can't help but think about how adorable Jaune is, when he is being so thoughtful and a perfect gentleman. Wanting to spend as much time as possible on our date I quickly finish my shower, stepping out to start to drying myself off I wrap my hair up in my towel and put on my bathrobe so I can dress in the room while he showers. Insuring that he doesn't see what i'm wearing before we are ready to go, since I want it to be a surprise.

I open the door and let Jaune know the bathroom is available, he quickly steps inside and closes the bathroom door as I go to my desk and start getting ready. Once my makeup is done I step over to my closet to select the dress I plan on wearing tonight, I decide to go with my red sleeveless dress. The back of the dress splits midway down my thigh exposing my leg as I walk. After I am dressed and ready to go I decide to wait for Jaune in the hall, giving him his privacy to get dressed. I make my way to the door, opening it to step out into the hall. As I do I see Ruby and Weiss who are holding hands exiting their dorm with Jason, Yang, and another girl I've never seen before following behind them.

"Hey Ruby, Weiss I have a quick favor to ask" I say as I step over to them. "Yea sure whats up? Nice dress by the way!" Ruby replies without missing a beat. "Well it's Jaune's and my first date and I want it to feel like a proper date, you know in that classic sort of way. So I was wondering could I wait in your room for Jaune while he gets ready?" Ruby seems slightly surprised. "Jaune finally figured out you like him huh? Great and sure you can wait in our room no problem." Ruby answers while holding the door open for me. Weiss lets go of Ruby's hand and says "I'll text Jaune for you, telling him to pick you up here." "Thanks guys, to be entirely honest i'm more nervous now than I have ever been when in tournaments."

"That is not like you at all Weiss, that was actually really nice." Ruby says, earning a snappy response from Weiss. "Well maybe i'm not as cold-hearted as you think." While she says this she winks at Ruby and even laughs slightly, I'm not sure what happened between them but I can only assume from the hand holding and all that it must be something similar to Jaune and I's situation. I must say that it's nice to see a genuine smile on Weiss's face for once, "Thanks so much again girls I'll make it up to you later." I say as I step into their room to await my chivalrous knight.

 **I like that my chivalrous knight…**

I seat myself at Weiss's desk and after a few minutes there is a light knock on the door, "Pyrrha are you there?" I stand answering the door with a smile on my face excited to see Jaune's reaction, and he does not disappoint. Although I too am awe struck at him being dressed up, apparently Jaune's dress clothes are a suit and tie you would see at a prom or wedding and I must say he looks extremely handsome. Wanting to break the silence from the shock I attempt to say something but all that comes out is an inaudible "H-Hi..."

 **Of all the times for my mind to go blank….I couldn't even comment on how good he looks**

Luckily he doesn't seem to notice, or is just as surprised as I am. After finally finding my voice again..., "Would you like to take a picture, it will last longer?" Hoping the joke would kick start his brain back to working. "Umm I-I'm so-sorry it's just I was not expecting you to be so beautiful.. wait that came out wrong ugh I mean your always beautiful, but Wow!" I can feel my face start turning red at the compliment, "That you Jaune, you look handsome and very dapper. Where did you get the suit?"

"Thanks, and I've had this for a while actually I got it as a hand me down from my dad we had to have it re-sized a bit so that it would fit but hey… it works." The suit itself is a standard charcoal colored three piece with a white undershirt that reminds me of the style that Jason favors, along with a purple tie that has his double arc symbol embroidered on it in gold. The suit still seems a little big for him but it fits well enough to not be too noticeable, Jaune takes my hand seeming less nervous this time and leads me from the room and back out into the hall.

We walk together hand in hand to the docks, where we board the airship and start making the short trip to Vale. When we arrive it is five thirty, leaving us plenty of time to have a amazing evening and still make it back before the last airship leaves at ten. Jaune still holding my hand starts to walk off before realizing he has no clue where he is going, he stops turning back to me slightly embarrassed. "Oh yeah haha, where are we going again. I got kinda caught up in the moment and was just walking."

I take two quick steps so that I am now in front of Juane, leading him by the hand quite literally. "We are going to a place I know over towards the shopping district, you may have heard of it it's called _Le LakeSide._ I have been there a few times and it was amazing so I want to share the experience with you." I say to Jaune as we walk, by now he has closed to distance between us so that we are walking side by side. As we walk I notice Jaune occasionally glance over at me and then at my hand in his, still looking slightly nervous.

We walk for about two blocks before taking a right at a small cafe on the street corner, then continuing for another block before the restaurant is in our view. I lift my hand which in turn raises Jaune's, I point to the sign that sits above the door that says _Le LakeSide_ in large cursive letters. We quickly close the remaining distance to the restaurant, Jaune releases my hand and quickens his pace slightly to reach the door before me, opening it and holding it for me to pass through before following behind me.

 _ **He's so sweet, I like that he is doing it because he wants to, not because he feels obligated**_

The room we enter into is a narrow entrance way that expands into a large rectangular dining area. There is a small counter at the end of this entrance way with a man standing behind it, he looks up from the desk briefly at our entrance before looking back down at whatever he was doing previously. The floors are a dark red carpet with black borders near the baseboards of the walls, the walls themselves being a greyish color that matches the carpet very well. When we approach the counter, I examine the man standing behind it briefly. He is an older man probably in his late forties rather short standing around 5'4 if I had to take a guess, with dark black hair and a pencil thin mustache on his upper lip. He also wears a pair of thick rimmed glasses, though I am unsure whether they are for reading or just for general use.

Jaune clears his throat in an attempt to grab his attention, to which he responds but does not look up from the papers in front of him. "Do you have a reservation?" His tone is flat and filled with indifference, Jaune looks at me then back to the hostess. "No, um will that be a problem?" The man lets out an audible sigh of annoyance, lifting his glasses up and rubbing his eyes beneath. "Yes it will be sir, you see without a reservation-" He stops mid sentence as he levels his gaze onto the two of us, more than likely because he has recognized me.

"Oh Mrs Nikos forgive me, I had no idea that I was speaking to someone with such an profound reputation such as your own. This must be your gentleman caller, let me get the two of you seated at once." He snaps his fingers twice in the air which I assume to be a signal of some sort because within seconds a tall maitre d' in a black tuxedo appears with two menus in hand. "Well we don't need any special treatment we are happy to wait if need be." I speak up slightly embarrassed, the last thing I want is for Jaune to think any less of me because of who I am. After all that is the main reason I fell for him in the first place, my reputation and status didn't matter to Jaune all he cared about was the real me.

Though my objections fall on deaf ears, as soon the maitre d' gestures for us to follow him into the main dining room. The main dining room is a large rectangular area with a slightly smaller rectangle inside that is lower down compared to the rest of the building, and blocked off with decorative fake planter boxes surrounding it to provide a level of privacy from the surrounding path. The purpose of which is more than likely there to provide staff with an unobstructed walkway. The design scheme is the same for this room as it was for the entrance, the colors of the walls and carpet matching exactly. There is also a large glass chandelier hanging in the middle of the room.

The lower part of the room is filled with square tables which are strategically placed to leave just the right amount of room between each. The maitre d' leads us to a slightly smaller table in the middle of the room and gestures for us to take a seat, Jaune walks to the far side of the table to pull my chair out for me before taking his own on the other side. The maitre d' says nothing but hands us each a menu before disappearing, leaving the two of us alone.

Shortly after he leaves our waiter arrives at the table "Hi my name is Phil i'll be taking care of you two tonight, can I get the two of you something to drink?" He asks politely, "I'll take a iced tea please." I answer matching his polite tone, "I'll take a grape soda please, thank you." Jaune adds Phil nods "I'll be right back with those." Jaune and I both answer with a quick thank you and Phil steps away, leaving us to ourselves once again. I pick up the menu and start browsing through it to find something that sounds appetizing, Jaune does the same. All the food on the menu is fancy high class food, though nothing sounds bad a certain dish catches my attention.

The dish in question is a steak that is topped with grilled mushrooms and parmesan cheese, a side of garlic mashed potatoes also comes as a side dish. I close the menu placing it back down on the table having made up my mind, Jaune is still looking at his menu when Phil returns with our drinks. He places them on the table in front of each of us before pulling a small note pad from a pocket on his tuxedo. "Have you decided what you would like or do you need more time?" I turn my attention from Phil to Jaune giving him a questioning look, he notices and speaks up. "Yeah I think we're ready, Pyrrha go ahead."

 _ **Ever the gentleman**_

"I'll have the steak and mushrooms medium rare, please." He nods and turns his attention to Jaune. "And you sir?" Jaune is silent for a moment before answering. "I will take the stuffed pork chop please." Phil nods once more, "Wonderful i'll get those started for you guys." He turns and heads off once again, disappearing once again from our view. I change my attention back to Jaune noticing that he is looking down at the table, I become slightly worried. "Jaune is something wrong?"

Jaune looks up a slight blush on his cheeks. "No, no nothing like that...I uh was just thinking about something is all." He flashes a brief smile before looking back down. "What are you thinking about It seems to have you troubled, anything I can do to help?" I question, a terrible thought creeping into the back of my mind.

 _ **Is he not happy?**_

The blush on Jaune's face darkens showing that whatever on his mind clearly has him embarrassed, there is a few moments of deafening silence before he speaks again. "It's just I need to know why, why me. You are the most caring, fun and attractive girl i've ever met but for some reason I don't understand you chose me and it just doesn't make sense." He lets out a awkward laugh while scratching the back of his head, the question catches me off guard and I struggle to think of the right words to get my point across.

"Well…" I pause for a moment to think, feeling my cheeks start to turn red as well. "There are many reasons but there is one that stands out among all the rest, that being how you don't care who I am and you never have you like me for me. You didn't know anything about me when we first met other than the fact that I was on the Pumpkin Pete's cereal box, and here we are now on our first date together. You cared enough to build that friendship… and now this relationship and that means the world to me." I smile brighter than ever, talking about my feelings for Jaune feels liberating. Any doubts or concerns I may have had about the two of us have vanished and it feels amazing.

Jaune's cheeks are the reddest I have ever seen them be, but he is smiling. He reaches his hand across the small table once again meeting mine and grasping it firmly, his eyes finally meeting mine. "Pyrrha-" His voice breaks causing him to pause. "You are the most important person in my life you quickly became my best friend and helped me so much now you mean even more to me. I can't express how happy I am when I'm with you, I only wish I wasn't so clueless and had realized these feelings sooner." I can feel my eyes begin to swell, I have never been so happy in all my life everything else pales in comparison to his words. "Oh Jaune…" I manage to get out before we are interrupted by the arrival of our food.

Our food is placed in front of us but I never break his gaze, the waiter leaves wordless. We stay this way for a few more moments before Jaune speaks. "I think we should eat before it gets cold." I nod and our hands release and we start eating. The topic of conversation changes to everyday chitchat about training and school, transitioning to much lighter topics. Before long Jaune and I have both finished our food and the bill has been delivered to the table, I instinctively go to reach for it but Jaune beats me to it. "No Pyrrha i'm treating you tonight, meaning you don't touch the bill."

"You don't have to pay Jaune, this place is expensive and it was my idea to come here." I say attempting to reach for the bill once more, which again fails. "Not a chance, i'll take care of it." He replies smiling and placing the bill out of my reach and grabbing his wallet. He places the money inside and replaces it at the edge of the table. Phil appears a few moments later taking it away with a quick thank you and a good night. Jaune stands from the table as I do the same and I take his hand once more,and we make our way out of the restaurant and back out into the cool night air.

Jaune once again holding the door for me as we exit, a quick check of my scroll tells me that it is eight o'clock meaning we have just enough time to make it back to the airship. We walk back the same way we came originally reaching the airship docks in no time, when we arrive the airship is preparing to leave so we board quickly and find a place to take a seat. I rest my head on Jaune's shoulder, I can hear his heart start beating quicker at the gesture and he wraps his arm around my back pulling me in tighter much to my surprise.

Before long the airship docks at Beacon, we disembark and make our way back to the dorms, when we reach the hall just outside our door I pause. "Thank you Jaune, I had a wonderful time that I will never forget." I smile once more at Jaune before grabbing his tie and gently pulling him in close for a kiss, the kiss is simple and only lasts a few moments but everything considered it couldn't be more perfect. I unlock the door and quietly step inside unsure if anyone is sleeping or not, unfortunately no one is Jason, Nora, and Ren are sitting on their respective beds still wide awake.

Though surprisingly enough none of them say a word beside a simple greeting from Ren and Nora, and a grunt from Jason who seems to be preoccupied with project of his own, his green eyes focused on the papers in front of him. I make my way to my bed just as Nora says "Well it sure took you two long enough."


	12. Chapter 12: A game of Cat and Mouse

POV: Blake Belladonna

Chapter Twelve: A game of Cat and Mouse

I sit on the roof reading just above my dorm quietly reading like I usually do when a text message from Yang that interrupts me, disturbing one of the best parts of my book Ninjas of Love.

 _Hey kitty cat, we are having dinner you gotta be there ASAP it's important._

I quickly type out a response and send it off

 _Ok i'll meet you guys there._

Taking the text at face value I jump from the roof falling to the tree below, I walk along the branches outside our dorm window and climb inside. I Hear a conversation starting between Pyrrha, Ruby and Weiss.

 **Seems like Jaune finally figured out the most obvious secret of the school**

Not wanting to interrupt I place my book on the shelf just inside the window and jump back up to the roof, taking my shortcut to the cafeteria to be sure I am the first to arrive. As I approach the double doors that lead to the cafeteria my thoughts get away from me about what is so important….White Fang activity...no that would be spoken about in the room not the cafeteria….Is she announcing that her and Jason are a couple...No Yang is open but she is not one for grand gestures like that, plus it's been pretty obvious with how much time they've been spending together...I wonder if it has to do with that girl i saw earlier running along the rooftops, did she steal something.

Suddenly Yang's voice breaks my train of thought, "Hey Blake glad you made it so quickly." I stop turning to see Yang standing hand in hand with Jason which is no surprise, what is surprising is the girl who I saw running around earlier is tagging along behind. Just behind her is Ruby and Weiss holding hands.. Looks like the cats out of the bag for them, did they tell Yang? I wave and reply as Yang gets close "Hey Yang you said it was important, everything ok?"

"Yeah everything is great," I can't help but notice as she says this she takes a quick sidelong glance at Jason "Oh ok well then what's up." I say relieved. "Well we wanted to introduce the team to Jade." Yang states while motioning to the girl behind her, Jason looks annoyed but says nothing leading me to believe there is something more going on here.

At first glance Jade doesn't seem impressive but as I study her more closely she seems to break that initial thought. Jade looks to be an inch shorter than me putting her at 5' 5". She has a slim physique though rather toned so she is definitely in shape. This makes me remember how easily she was maneuvering over the roofs of the school earlier. Looking over her face I notice that she has piercing blue eyes with a band of purple through the middle resembling purple gem stone, which I can only assume is what she gets her name from. Her face is framed by shoulder length black hair, styled similar to Yang's the way it is messily tossed, its tipped with purple to match her eyes.

While I'm looking her over Jade she takes the opportunity to introduce herself. "Hi name's Jade, like Yang said, You like what you're looking at?" I'm startled by her silvery voice which causes my ears to twitch and being caught red handed looking her over. "Hey your a faunus." Jade quickly adds. This statement immediately catches me off guard only my supposedly closest friends knew that, who told her? "What! Who told you!" Hurt and anger evident in my voice, who told her?

Why did they tell her without asking? I turn to leave feeling betrayed that they would tell a total stranger my secrets even though they promised to keep it quiet. Before I can even get a few steps a hand grabs my wrist, trying to free my hand I jerk harder than intended this causes a body to be pulled into me. Its Yang "Blake wait no one told, I'm not sure how she knows but I promise no one told her. Let's just talk for a second, please don't just run away you promised that you would tell us if something bothered you instead of running."

I can hear Jason sounding confused "Wait she's a faunus?" Jade quickly steps off to the side with us, Yang still holding my wrist firmly leaving no chance to escape. She's right I did promise I wouldn't run, making sure there is plenty of distance between us and the doors to keep people from over-hearing I look at Yang and see hurt in her eyes at my initial reaction. I can't believe I almost ran again even after I promised. I take a deep breath to calm down but before I can say anything Jade speaks up again. "Why are you hiding who you are?….Why are you betray….OUCH!" Jade screams as she is hit in the back of the head by Jason, who interrupts her.

"Jade will you stop causing problems for once in your life! Give her a moment to think and calm down before you make it worse. You caused enough problems between Ruby and Weiss already, are you just trying to cause problems for everyone on my girlfriends team and me by association?" Hearing their names I look over at Ruby and Weiss, noticing they stepped away from the door with us but kept a little bit more distance. I look at Yang and take another deep breath to steady myself. "I'm sorry, you're right I did promise and I would have broken that promise if you hadn't caught me. So I guess that means I owe you."

Yang seems satisfied with my apology so I turn my attention to Jade. "I am a fanus, but the only people who know are on my team. I don't hide my nature from them and I haven't betrayed the fanus at all. Im working to become a huntress so I can fix the unfair treatment my kind receives from a lot of humans. I hide my nature in public to avoid problems and to make it easier to obtain my long term goals. Which brings me to the question, how did you know?" Jade even though she is looking at me it feels like she is somewhere else, spacing out momentarily. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to cause any problems and your ear, I saw it twitch under your bow."

Her tone lacking the appealing sound I heard earlier, instead replacing it with something darker. Jason suddenly wraps Jade in a bearhug from behind lifting her off the ground. "Cheer up, I don't think anyone is mad at you anymore. You just have to be more careful is all." Though I suspect his words have another hidden meaning to them they do have their intended effect, as Jason releases Jade she instantly starts beaming a bright smile. "Makes sense in a way kinda like your infiltrating and enemy base in disguise."

I laugh and Jason sighs, "Don't make me take back the nice things I said Jade."

 _ **Well I guess now I know why he looked annoyed**_

Jade shrugs off the comment smiling, "You know you love my jokes." Jason says nothing but gives her a cold look so I decide to step in. Looking at Jade I say "Sorry I jumped to conclusions, my name is Blake and as you have figured out I'm a Fanus. It's nice to meet you, shall we go inside so we can get food and talk about what you guys needed?" Yang and Jason nod, and Jason moves back over to the door and holds it open for the rest of us to walk through. Yang, Jade, and myself walk through followed by Weiss and Ruby not to long after.

When we all have our food we find an empty table and sit down, on one side of the table is myself with Weiss to my left and then Ruby next to her and on the other side Jason is sitting between Yang and Jade. The cafeteria is thankfully quiet considering the time which is making our conversation much easier. We sit and eat quietly for a few minutes before Jason, who is already finished speaks. "Just to be sure that everyone knows everyone else." He gestures to Jade on his right, "This is Jade Hunter, a friend of mine from Atlas, we grew up together she is basically my little sister my very annoying and inconvenient little sister...Ok so now that everyone is acquainted. Jade and myself would like to ask a favor of the three of you, and please answer honestly you won't offend us either way." He pauses looking for acknowledgement from the three of us, which is given in the form of a nod.

"We would like to know if Jade could stay in your dorm while she's here visiting, she would of course be on her best behavior at all times I would be sure of that. But of course the decision is entirely up to you." Jason is quiet now giving us time to think on the proposal, there is a few moments of silence which is then broken by Ruby. "Sure I don't see why not, the more the merrier right?" Ruby's answer is followed by a questioning by Weiss, her tone arrogant and full of self importance. "Is she just sleeping in the room? Did she bring things with her? And do we have to babysit her, or is she sufficient enough to take care of herself?" Only weiss could manage to make legitimate questions sound like insults, Jade begins a response but thinks better of it most likely because of Jason.

"To answer your questions Weiss, yes she will only be sleeping in the room so she won't be in there except for later in the afternoon-early evening. No you don't have to babysit her she can take care of herself, but there may be the occasional question on where to go for certain things. Then lastly on her stuff I actually don't know...Jade?" Jade seems slightly nervous but still answers. "I have my bow, a backpack filled with the essentials, like extra clothes and makeup, that kind of stuff but that's it." Jason rolls his eyes, and continues. "So there's your answer to that, what do you think."

Weiss considers for a few moments, the more time that passes the more nervous and anxious Jade seems to get before finally Weiss answers. "Fine, on two conditions. First she leaves Ruby and myself out of her stupid and immature gests, and second she agrees to not touch anything of mine." Weiss is looking at Jade awaiting her answer to the terms. "Sure I can stay outta your hair no problem and to clarify... Ruby is yours so she is off limits as well right?" Weiss shoots Jade a cold glare while she responds. "These are the exactly the types of comments I am looking to avoid...but yes that does make her off limits." Reluctantly Jade sighs, "Fine fine i'll leave all your things alone." She states while staring at Ruby, this seems to earn a reaction from Yang as well as Weiss, a slight hint of red creeping into her usually lilac colored eyes.

Jason nods and turns his attention to me. "Well Blake, what do you think?"

 _ **I guess that leaves just me then.**_

"Ruby is the team leader so if her and the rest of the team are in agreement then that makes it unanimous regardless of my answer…I can't say I fully trust her, but so long as she doesn't bother me while reading and doesn't damage any of my books i'm not against it." Upon hearing my answer Yang jumps in enthusiastic as ever. "Well I guess that settles it then, Jade you are now staying with team RWBY."

To prevent any awkward silence I change the subject rather quickly since the situation is resolved anyway. "So Jason have you and Yang gotten your stuff sorted for prom this weekend?" Jason was taking a drink of his cola when I ask the question, which causes him to nearly choke in his surprise.

 _ **Well there's my answer I suppose.**_

"What do you mean this weekend?" He pauses to look at Yang on his left. "I didn't know it was this week, why didn't you mentioned anything about it?" Yang looks at the table rather sheepishly "I guess I forgot, hard to remember with us making out all the time." Making her and Jason both smile, I chime in. "Aren't you on the planning committee, how could you forget about the prom?" Yang is far from pleased with my comment and stares daggers my way before confessing. "Fine! I was honestly going to skip the prom and take Jason on a date." Weiss hears this and immediately jump into the conversation. "You will not skip the prom and leave all the work to me, I won't allow it." To which Jason adds, "We'll be there, I want to take you to prom." This causes Yang to look over at Jason in suprise, "You want to go to prom? It doesn't really seem like your kinda thing, in that case I guess I better go dress shopping this week."

"Well if that is everything, I'm done eating so I think I'll head to the room and read some before bed." I interject standing up from the table. "I need to do some research for prom as well, so I think i'll head to bed too." Jason says as he also stands from the table. Everyone starts dispersing from the cafeteria Yang following Jason and Weiss and Ruby behind them. As I get close to the doors Jade walks up beside me. "Sorry about calling you out like that earlier that's not how I meant to phrase it, I'm not use to being in areas that treat fanus poorly." I am suddenly reminded of what Jade was saying earlier about her sister who is a fanus as well. "You're human aren't you?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" Answers questioningly. "You said your sister was a fanus which confused me I guess she is a step-sister then." Jade opens the doors for us and answers "Nope she is my half sister."

 _ **Half sister...is that even possible I've never heard of a human-fanus couple having a child**_

We walk for a few minutes in silence while I think about this, eventually Jade adds with a smirk, "I'm a very open person so you can ask me anything within reason unless the interrogation is over." Her smirk immediately reminds me of Yang's and it aggravates me slightly but I bite my tongue and say nothing. Another few moments go by before Jade speaks again. "Jason seems to have forgotten about me, guess I'll head to your dorm room and sit with you." Well I probably won't be able to read at all tonight then. As we reach the dorm room I go to open it and reply "That's fine just no talking, I'm at a really good spot in my book before Yang's text interrupted me earlier."

Jade chuckles "Isn't it a shame that a pretty girl like you is stuck reading on a Saturday?" My face goes red at the comment but luckily my back is to her so she doesn't see. Jade seems to be able to push anyone's buttons with ease, not exactly sure how Jason has put up with her since childhood and managed to stay sane. "Jade," I say trying to sound as much like Weiss as I can, hoping to get my point across. "Not another word do you hear me or I will kick you out of here, I want to read." Jade starts to laugh and says "I'll act like the cat has my tongue!"

 _ **Oh my god she just used a pun!**_

I turn to look at Jade as she sits down on the floor and see that she is making a key locking motion in front of her lips. Feeling to bothered to read I decide I am just going to go to bed and lay down while pointing to the closet. "There is a spare set of blankets and an extra pillow in there. I am just going to go to bed to exhausted to read." As I close my eyes I relax myself and get more comfortable, realizing i'm more tired than I thought and slowly start to ease into sleep as I hear Jade opening the closet.


	13. Chapter 13: The Bro Code

POV: Jason Vidar

Chapter Thirteen: The Bro Code

There is a silent nudging of my arm as I lay in bed still half asleep that means, at least in Gore's opinion, I should be awake. I roll over to try to ignore him but it's no use, Gore is determined and continues nudging. Realizing it's pointless to try to fight it, I give in and sit up in my bed. I take a quick glance around the room and all is quiet everyone else seems to still be asleep, I grab my scroll a nearby outlet and a quick check reveals it is only seven o'clock.

 _ **Well that explains why I'm the only one up.**_

I reluctantly swing my legs off the bed and stand up taking a moment to stretch before getting dressed, choosing a pair of emerald green shorts and a plain black sleeveless workout shirt. Since i'm planning on working out this morning anyway taking a shower now would be pointless so I skip it and instead make my way over to the door with Gore close behind. I step out of the room and being careful not to make too much noise close the door behind me and head to the end of the hall, going down the stairs that lead to the building's exit. I push the door open and step into the early morning gloom, the sun just barely up and casting a dull glow over the campus.

Gore runs off somewhere to my right, probably to relieve himself by my guess it really makes no difference he'll catch up to me either way. I walk silently in the direction of Beacon's weight room lost in my thoughts, rethinking the plans that I came up with last night and trying to align everything in my head before putting it in motion. What to wear, where to get it, what do I do with Jade, are all thoughts running through my head. Though the thing that is still bothering me the most is one that I have the least control of, Yang. The last thing i'd ever want to do is mess up and embarrass her, considering the only reason she is even going is because of me it just adds pressure to make everything perfect and I can't seem to get past it.

I decide to put it out of my mind the best I can for the time being as I reach the front door to Beacons training facilities, and not too surprisingly Gore has made his way back to my side. I step into the large gym and make a right following a carpeted path next to the wall, and follow it to a door on the right hand side of the building. I push the door open and enter the weight room, the room itself is simple with grey walls and a simple blue tile floor but the equipment inside the room is what's important. Along the left hand wall are eight weight racks each with their own bench and bar, as well a full set of different weights ranging from five to forty-five pounds.

The right side of the room contains a metal rack lined with dumbbells of all different weights as well as some kettlebells and workout equipment. I decide to start by setting up a rack for bench press and putting weights equivalent to a hundred and eighty pounds on the bar, taking a seat on the edge of the bench I pause. "Gore keep an eye out, just stay out of the way." I say to my companion who then moves over to the far side of the room and lays down, satisfied that he's taken care of I lay back on the bench and grip the bar before lifting it from the safety catches. The weight feels heavier than it usually does while I hold it at arm's length, but is still manageable. Bending at the elbows I bring the weight down until it just touches my chest and quickly push it back up till my arms are fully extended once more completing the rep. I do a total of forty reps, raising the weight by about ten pounds every eight reps until I max out at two hundred and thirty pounds. By the time i've finished my arms and shoulders burn, which is to be expected but something isn't right.

 _ **My max dropped twenty pounds...I guess it's been longer than I thought.**_

I rack the weight back and stand up from the bench, quickly stripping all the weights off placing them on their shelves near the bar and re-setting it for squats. Once the bar is adjusted so that it sits around shoulder height I add weight back to the bar, this time adding two hundred pounds and duck underneath it so that the cold metal sits even on my shoulders. Pushing up slightly the weight easily comes free, the weight now fully supported by my body. I bend my knees, being sure to keep the weight even across my shoulders so that it doesn't tip to either side. I dip down until it looks like i'm sitting in a chair and use the power in my legs to stand back up. I do this three more times before a sudden sound from Gore grabs my attention.

I rack the weight and turn to face the door rather surprised to see Jaune standing there looking at me. "Mornin Jaune, I didn't know you worked out honestly didn't think you were the type." Seeing that it's only Jaune entering the room I turn back to bar stepping back under the bar to continue my lift. "Well actually I don't… that's kinda my problem. I actually came here to talk to you about that, you know away from the rest of the team and all." Jaune stares at the floor as he says this once again showing how unconditioned he is when it comes to talking to people, but I decide to lend him a hand. "Ok… come over here and spot me and we'll talk this over, sound good?"

"What do you mean spot?" He questions confused.

 _ **Oh yeah…**_

"Just stand behind me while I lift, so that if I struggle you can help me. Trust me I probably won't need help but i'll tell you if I do, so what's your problem exactly?" I continue my lift once more, while Jaune seems to be choosing how to approach the conversation. "Well I… you see...-" I cut him off mid sentence. "Jaune, come on man i'm your teammate and i'd like to think i'm your friend as well, spit it out." A slight grin appears on Jaune's face before being replaced by a frown, "Well I'm not the strongest guy here you know, and well… i'm afraid that I won't cut it. Especially with Pyrrha, we just got together and well I just don't want to disappoint or embarrass her."

 _ **Well atleast im not the only one...**_

Being done with my set I rack the weight before turning around to face Jaune, who is now staring at the floor. "Jaune look at me right now." I say my tone intentionally having a sharp edge to it. Reluctantly Jaune looks up from the floor to meet my gaze as I place a hand on his shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short, Pyrrha is crazy about you. You know that as much as I do, for god sakes she's ecstatic whenever you're around, it's hard not to notice. Anybody ever says she deserves someone better than you, i'll be kicking their head in, that includes you just by the way. As for strength, if you want to get stronger all you gotta do is ask me and i'll help you. I know enough to help you out, I mean you won't turn into a bodybuilder or anything but you'll probably notice the difference." I smirk at Jaune giving him a slight playful shove, he smiles as well and shoves back.

"Will you help me then?" Jaune says mockingly

"Thought you'd never ask, go over there and grab a fifteen pound medicine ball." I say pointing over to the right side of the room, Jaune jogs over to the far side of the room and returns with a round medicine ball and hands it over to me. I nod and step away from Jaune until there is a few feet in between the two of us, throwing the medicine ball to him in a high arch. Jaune catches it with his chest first before his arms wrap around it, he then mimics the motion and throws the medicine ball back to me. I catch the ball with the upper bicep, dipping slightly to help absorb the impact. "Try not to catch it with your chest like that, trust me you'll thank me later." I say before launching the ball to him again, this time he catches the ball properly and sends it flying back to me. "Good, see you're learning already."

Jaune smiles at the compliment and prepares for the next catch, we throw back and forth about twenty times before Jaune starts to show signs of fatigue and my shoulders are burning again. I throw the medicine ball off to the side, as I breath heavily trying to regain a constant pace. "How yah feelin so far?" Jaune who is standing with his hands behind his head holds a one up one finger and continues panting. "Ok we'll take a break then before the next exercise." Jaune nods in agreement, taking a seat against the nearest wall, still trying to regain his breath. I sit down on one of the weight benches and pull my scroll out of my pocket to check the time, I am surprised to see that it is already almost eight thirty, and that I have an unexpected message from Yang.

I open the message. _Hey are you awake yet?_ I quickly shoot back a sarcastic answer, _No absolutely not, why are you?_ A few seconds go by before my scroll vibrates, signalling a new message. _Haha your so funny I forgot to laugh… So what are you up to this morning?_

 _I'm working out with Jaune right now surprisingly enough (He wants to impress Pyrrha). I'll come by when we're done, we can do whatever you want today because your the best girlfriend ever._ I add a smiley face to the end of the message and send it off, slipping my scroll back into pocket without waiting for a reply. I stand up from the bench and head over to Jaune offering him a hand up, which he accepts and I pull him to his feet. "You ready to keep going?" I ask when Jaune is up. "Yeah let's go, what's next?" I consider for a moment and decide that core may be the best decision.

"We are gonna work on some core, starting with bicycles, four-one minute intervals." Jaune nods and gets back down on the floor, lying on his back and lifting his legs as I do the same. I start and Jaune follows, kicking our legs out quickly one at a time then pulling them back in. After a minute passes we break for a few moments then we start again, Jaune keeps up for the most part and even tries his best to match my pace but the strain is clear on his face and he eventually slows his pace towards the end. When we are finished with our last set of bicycles we take another few moments rest then we continue.

"Ok roll over were doing planks now, you might want to put your feet against a wall or something it helps." I roll over to my stomach, sliding my feet over so that they are up against the wall next to me. "Start, stomach off the floor." We lift ourselves off the floor, balanced on our toes and using our forearms to push off and keep steady. Since Jaune is close on my right and has nowhere to go, I decide to take advantage of the situation and find out how things went with Jaune and Pyrrha last night. "So… you two got home late last night, how'd things go?" I ask the strain from the exercise coming through in my tone.

Even with the pain he's going through at the moment a huge smile covers Jaune's face as he seems to recall what happened between him and Pyrrha last night. "It was great Jason, I can still barely believe it haha."

 _ **So far so good, I don't regret my decision yet.**_

"What did you guys do, give me all the details man." Jaune pauses for a moment, his arms beginning to wobble from fatigue, but he does continue after a few moments. "It wasn't really anything to special, just an amazing time. We went and got dinner at this awesome restaurant in Vale, and we mostly just talked. I learned more about Pyrrha and I finally got the question of 'why' off my chest." He trails off without finishing the thought which leads me to question him further. "Well that's good I suppose… How'd that go?" Thankfully Jaune's smile doesn't fade when I ask the question meaning it must not have blown up in his face.

"Went better than I thought it would, in honesty. She didn't seem off put by the question, I don't know maybe she was expecting it but I got my answer and that's what matters." The tone in his voice as he answers is a clear indication not to try to pry any further, so I take the hint and move on. "Well i'm glad that things seem to be working out ok between the two of you, i'll be honest I was a little worried that I may have pushed you a little to hard into something that might not have worked out. Oh and were done by the way." Jaune and I both lay flat on the floor letting our arms and shoulders rest for a moment as we continue our conversation.

"No, no, if anything I appreciate your help. I was totally clueless to not only my own feelings by Pyrrha's too, your little shove helped me make one of the best choices i've made so far. A decision I couldn't have made without your help, I owe you for that." I push myself off the floor to be able to sit up properly and make an attempt to lighten the mood a bit since we've gotten quite serious. "Darn right you do, and I think I know how you can make it up to me. You're going to be my new lifting partner, I've got Yang to spar with but she doesn't really do weights so you'll fill the gap. Sound good to you?" Jaune just smiles and says with a laugh "Sure I think I can force myself to help you, if that's my only option."

Now that i've had a few moments to rest I force myself up from the floor to a standing position as Jaune does the same, preparing himself for the next exercise. "I think that's gonna have to do it for today man, i'm about done here. What days work best for you we can get a schedule up and running, get in here as much or as little as we like. Personally I prefer two to three days a week but it's up to preference." Jaune looks somewhat relieved to be done but doesn't dare say anything. "The best days for me would probably be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Those work for you?" I give my reply in the form of a simple affirmative nod. "Great, thanks again for your help with Pyrrha and with everything else."

I call Gore over to my side with a whistle and give him a scratch on the head, before turning to make my exit from the weight room. "Don't mention it, just remember our deal." And with that I make my exit from the weight room back into the main training area, then taking a left and following the same path that I took on my way in, reach the front door that leads outside. I push the door open and step out being sure to hold it for Gore to come through before letting it close behind me.

As I start making my way back to the dorm I notice Pyrrha making her way towards the conditioning center, so I call out to her. "Hey Pyrrha, I take it you're looking for Jaune?" Pyrrha waves and smiles when she sees me, greeting me politely. "Hello Jason, yes I was looking for Jaune do you happen to know where he is?" I gesture back towards the conditioning room before answering. "He's in the weight room, the only door on the right hand side of the room. Just a warning though don't just go wearing out my new workout partner ok, I like the company." I shoot Pyrrha a wink and her cheeks turn red, to put her at ease I add. "I'm just kidding, you two have fun."

Pyrrha giggles before adding. "Will do, see you later Jason." Then she quickly dashes inside, clearly in a hurry to see Jaune. I can't help but laugh to myself as continue my way back to the dorm, to see someone like Pyrrha being head over heels for someone is interesting. Especially someone like Jaune who has no clue whatsoever, it's funny to watch him try to figure things out. Though he seems to be getting along ok so far. After a short walk I arrive back at the dorms and make my way back to my dorm door, as I go to unlock the door I hear my name be called from behind. I turn to see who else but Yang leaning against the door frame, she is wearing a high cut yellow top that leaves her midsection exposed with a pair of black short shorts.

The change catches me off guard but I still manage to respond, however stammered it may be. "Hey firecracker... how yah doing." She walks slowly over to me, wrapping her arms around the back on my neck, bringing me in for a short kiss before she answers. "I'm good, but there is something that would make my morning better." I smile. "Oh and what would that be?" I question genuinely curious but with a certain extra hint of something in my tone. "Well I was just thinking about how amazing it would be to spend the rest of the day with you." I chuckle slightly to myself before leaning in and giving Yang a long, deep, kiss.

As we stand there our lips locked together, I remember the little move Yang pulled on me yesterday and decide to return the favor. I slip my tongue in between her lips and into her mouth, which seems to surprise her for a moment but she quickly realizes what i'm doing and allows it. We stay like this for a long time before the kiss is ended by me pulling back. "Well I think that can be arranged. But I do think I should shower first, I smell awful at the moment." Yang shakes her head. "No you're fine, now come with me." Without giving me a chance to argue she grabs my shirt and pulls me into her dorm, Gore sneaking in just before she closes the door behind us.

As we make our way over to Yang's bed I notice a pile of pillows and blankets in the right hand corner near the closet and assume that this is where Jade is sleeping. When we reach her bed Yang and I both climb up while Gore surprisingly decides to wait on the floor, I seat myself with my back against the wall. Yang crawls over to me and seats herself in my lap, assaulting me with a barrage of quick pecks before resting her head on my chest. I wrap her in my arms and hold her close, while resting my chin on her head. I move my hand and grab my scroll to put on some music, selecting some country from my selection and playing it through the speakers on low volume.

After a few songs, and a few more kisses we are unfortunately interrupted by Gore howling. Since this is fairly out of character for him I get rather worried and have to check on him, I roll to my side so that Yang falls down to the bed and plant another kiss on her forehead before whispering to her. "I gotta take care of him real quick, I'll be right back." Yang nods and shoots me a wink. "Hurry back." I hop down from the bed, landing a few feet away from Gore who is laying down over by the door. He comes running over and nudging me with his nose. "What is it, is something wrong?" Gore stands up on his hind legs holding his arms in close to his stomach, signalling hes hungry.

 _ **I didn't give you your breakfast yet did I.**_

"Ok I get it, come on we'll get you some food." I make my way over to the door and open it letting Gore step out first and then follow him, as I step out I take off my boots and place them in the door frame to prevent the door from closing behind me. Gore is already waiting patiently at the door to my room, which I open to let him in. Surprisingly the room is empty besides myself and Gore so I make my way over to my bed. Gore has beaten me there and is sitting on the bed with his bowl hanging from his mouth, since I don't want him knowing where his food is kept I grab a spare shirt that I left on the floor and throw it over his head.

Then I walk silently over to Jaune's dresser and retrieve and can of dog food from the top drawer, pop the top and head back over to Gore and take the shirt off his head. He drops his bowl to the floor, which I pick up and fill with the can's contents before placing it in front of him. Excitedly he jumps off the bed and starts inhaling his food, shortly after the bowl has been licked clean and Gore steps away from it. This being my que that he is done, I grab the bowl and throw it under the bed for later. "So are you good now, you're not gonna interrupt us anymore right?" Gore dips his head in acknowledgement and makes for the door.

 _ **Whats up with Gore being so jelous of Yang, he never acted this way with Jade.**_

I open the door and step back out into the hall to notice Ruby leaving her dorm, Gore goes running over to greet her even knocking her to the floor with his excitement. "Hi Gore." She says as she pets him, I walk over and pull him back to give her the chance to stand back up. Which she does before Gore comes back at her looking for attention, even rolling over on his back for Ruby to give him a belly rub. "Well, I think it's safe to say he likes you, what's up Ruby." I say jokingly as Gore continues to act like a puppy with Ruby. She laughs at my joke and answers. "Nothing really, I just wanted to ask Yang something and grab my sweetheart before I went to meet Weiss. I finally convinced her to take a break from studying so that we could go on a picnic today." I nod and grab Gore by the collar and pull him back.

"Well I'll let you get to it then, sorry about him knocking you over." Ruby stands and scratches Gore's ears again before turning to head on her way. Gore breaks free of my grip and starts to follow her as she makes her way down the hall. "Gore get back here, Ruby's doing stuff you'll see her later you idiot." But my words are ignored as he continues to walk towards Ruby, who did hear me and stopped to see what was going on. "Well if you're ok with it I'd be willing to bring Gore along with us, he seems to want to anyway." I let out a sigh and give in to Gore's stubbornness once again. "Sure if you don't mind that's fine, i'm tired of dealing with him right now anyway." Gores tail wags happily as he walks down the hall with Ruby.

 _ **I honestly don't understand him, he acts like that for no one but Ruby.**_

I shrug and walk back into Yang's room, moving my boots off to one side so that the door can close before moving back over to Yang's bed. "I'm back, sorry about that Gore was hungry." I say as I start to lift myself up to the top bunk, the moment I land on the bed Yang climbs back on top of me giving me a quick kiss before resting her head back on my chest. "Took you long enough." She says sarcastically as I wrap her in my arms once again, I notice she has my blazer wrapped around herself. "So what do you want to do with the rest of today?" I ask as I try to take my jacket without her noticing, which fails horribly. "No I'm keeping this jacket so I can always think of you... and I was thinking it would be perfect to cuddle, watch movies and just enjoy each others company.

"Sounds great to me, where's my scroll i'll put something on." Yang hand me my scroll that I left on her bed and I turn on the projector and set it up on the wall at the foot of the bed, turning myself so that Yang and I can both see the movie without straining and turn on a random comedy movie. Which is ignored because we spend the whole time paying attention to each other, kissing, and even nibbling from Yang. By the time the movie is over I have three new red bite marks on my neck, which i'm not complaining about. All together I couldn't think of any place in the world i'd rather be than right here with her.

 **Hello all, thank you once again for reading first off. Second off I NEED YOUR REVIEWS, you're thoughts and your opinions. I have ideas but I need your guys help to improve my writing for you guys, which is the whole reason why I do this so feedback is always appreciated/needed. So with that out of the way that's about it, the next chapter will be out next week same time same place. Thanks again, and i'll see you in the next chapter. =D**


	14. Chapter 14: Mission Prom Dress, Bonzai!

POV: Ruby Rose

Chapter Fourteen: Mission Prom Dress, Bonzai!

"So then I grabbed the beast when it's guard was down and threw it in the hole, effectively trapping it inside for the rest of it's miserable existence." Professor Port continues to rant on about his many adventures in life, while I sit in my seat bored out of my skull. I decide to risk pulling out my scroll too quickly text Pyrrha about coming with Yang and I to get our prom dresses. _Hey Pyrrha, Yang and I are going to go get our dresses in Vale today want to come along? Oh and don't say anything to Jaune, Jason, or Weiss. It's a surprise._

I place my scroll on my lap out of view and wait for a response relieved that I didn't get caught, I go back to listening to Professor Port until my scroll buzzes signaling I got a response from Pyrrha. I tap the message to open it and read it silently to myself. _Ok that sounds great I need a dress anyway and it would be great to have the company. Where are we meeting?_ I quickly check to see what Port is up to, seeing as he seems preoccupied acting out another one of his stories I figure it's safe to type out a response. _Just meet us at our dorm after class and we'll take it from there._ A simple response of, _Ok sounds good_ is received and I slip my scroll back into my pocket before I get caught texting.

"-Now that I had gotten the beast back in the hole after a foiled rescue attempt, I took the rest of the day to rest and revel in my hard won victory... Well I do believe that will do it for class today, students, remember you have your reading due wednesday Good day."

 _ **Ugh finally…**_

I quickly stand up from my seat and make my way to the door to wait for Yang, Weiss, and Blake. When Weiss gets close I make a move to grab her hand but she rejects it and keeps walking, leaving the rest of us to follow her into the hall. Yang and I exchange a look to be sure we are both on the same page before I talk to Weiss. "I'll see you later princess." Her expression changes slightly when I say this. "Are you not studying with me today?" As much as she tries to hide it there is a hint of disappointment clear in her tone.

"No I have some other things to do, but i'll meet up with you later." I smile bright as ever turning to Yang and Blake and clear my throat, a signal to ask for a moment alone with her. Blake takes the hint and leads Yang a little farther down the hall away from the two of us, she tries to argue but Blake isn't having it and tugs her along. When we are alone I lean in and plant a quick kiss on her cheek and give her a reassuring smile, her cheeks turn red before she turns away from me to head down the hall towards the library. "Dolt" I hear her mutter as she walks away, I smile and giggle to myself and run over to where Yang and Blake are waiting for me.

"Ok we're in the clear, Weiss should be studying for the next couple hours and Pyrrha is going to meet us at the dorm. Now all that's left is to go get our dresses." The two of them nod and we start making our way back to our dorm. When we reach the door to the main courtyard of Beacon Blake speaks up. "I'll catch up with you guys later ok." Without leaving time for us to reply Blake disappears, leaving Yang and I to walk ourselves back to the dorm. Yang looks over to me. "I wonder what that was about?" I look over and shrug in response. Within a few minutes of walking we reach the dorm building and make our way inside, quickly climbing the stairs that lead up to our floor. We walk down the hall and spot Pyrrha standing in the hall waiting for us, when she notices us she waves and greets us kindly. "Hi Pyrrha!" I say in an excited tone before I continue. "Last thing before we go, you both need to message your respective...partners…and let them know you won't be available for the next few hours before we leave."

Neither Pyrrha or Yang look excited by the idea but Yang seems more comfortable with the idea than Pyrrha and takes my side and adds some words of reassurance. "Yeah today is one of their workout days anyway, they probably won't even notice our messages until we are already back." Pyrrha's expression lightens and she pulls out her scroll to send her message and Yang does the same. I wait and watch until they are both finished and have their scrolls put away before I add. "Ok no more contact with either of them until we are back here ok?" The two of them nod reluctantly in agreement, I turn to the door and unlock it. Holding it open and waving the two of them into the room.

The two of them walk in and I follow them closing the door behind me, Yang and Pyrrha take a seat on Blake's bed so I stand in front of them to explain the situation. "So as you know, all three of us need dresses for prom and since we all want to impress our dates. Going together will benefit all of us." Pyrrha nods and Yang lets out a cheer, then a third voice from right behind the two of them causes both of them to jump up and turn around. "Ruby you should only be that loud when in bed." A chuckle clearly in her tone, I can feel a blush start to cover my cheeks at the comment. I recognize Jade's voice and realize she was asleep on Blake's bed. It's obvious that we woke her with our entrance and my rather loud discussion so I attempt to apologise.

"Oh Jade, I didn't know you were here, you were gone this morning when we went to class. I should have checked the room, i'm sorry." I panic slightly, worried that Jade will be mad at me but much to my relief she doesn't seem to be upset and only smiles. "Don't worry that pretty head of yours Ruby it's fine. I needed to get up anyway, I only laid down to take a cat nap." she says while laughing causing yang to chuckle as well. "What time is it?" She asks once she is done laughing. I start to answer but Pyrrha beats me to it. "It's just after three thirty, my name is Pyrrha by the way I don't believe we've met yet." Jade turns from me to be able to face Pyrrha, extending her hand which Pyrrha shakes. "Nice to meet you i'm Jade. I don't attend Beacon that's why we haven't meet, I'm just here to pay a visit to my friend Jason. Team RWBY was nice enough to let me stay in their dorm." Yang clears her throat and decides to address the elephant in the room. "Why were you in Blake's bed?"

"You guys were in classes and I was tired from swimming so needed a nap, and her bed smelled the best." Jade answers without missing a beat. Since we do have a schedule to keep I decide to jump in so we aren't here all afternoon. "We'll be back in a few hours Jade, we have some shopping to do in Vale. I think we'll be back in time for dinner but no promises. If you see Weiss you don't know where I am." I say with a wink then pause for a moment and smile before making my way to the door and opening it once more, signalling to Yang and Pyrrha that it's time to go. Thankfully they understand my hint and move out into the hall, I wave at Jade one last time before I follow them out. "Do you guys have everything you need?" Yang pats the pockets on her shorts, then answers. "Yeah I think so, i've got my lien and i'm bringing my babies along just in case." She says as she expands the shotgun gauntlets into their full form, chambers them, and then switches them to their passive state.

"What about you Pyrrha?" I ask as I shift my attention to her, after a moment she answers. "Yes, I think I have everything as well." I nod and we start making our way towards the airship dock, as we walk I get curious if Jaune and Jason had replied yet so I decide to ask. "Did either of you get a response yet or no?" Pyrrha and Yang both grab their scrolls to check, guessing from the smile on Pyrrha's face it's probably a safe bet that Jaune replied. Yang on the other hand seems a little more worried by what I assume to be Jason's response, leading me to question her about it. "Yang, Is something wrong?" She shakes her head and starts giggling before she answers. "No… from what I can gather Jason and Jaune have a bet going. The loser, who Jason seems pretty confident is going to be Jaune, has to wear a dress to prom apparently."

 _ **Well thats interesting…**_

"What on earth would they make a bet like that for?" Pyrrha questions obviously confused, but Yang just shakes her head. "I don't know, Jason didn't say. All that he told me was to expect to see Jaune in a dress at prom because he is going to be losing their bet and it's going to be hilarious. You may want to get Jaune's measurements Pyrrha, I don't think Jason would make a bet like this if he thought Jaune had a chance." Yang proclaims a big smirk on her face, which seems to annoy Pyrrha. "Well I have my full confidence in Jaune, i'm sure he'll do fine. But don't worry Yang i'm sure Jason will look stunning in a dress." Yang goes to reply but I interrupt to prevent their argument from going any farther.

"Woah guys it's fine we'll just have to see how it plays out, plus i'm sure they would both look terrible in dresses." My comment earns me a laugh from the two of them and thankfully seems to put an end to their dispute. After a few minutes of walking we reach the air docks, taking a seat on the benches to wait for the airship to arrive. The airship arrives after a short wait and we climb aboard and find a seat, we get ourselves settled and the trip is underway. "Do you guys mind if we make a few more stops other than just the dress shop? Last time I went into town with Weiss I found this cool shop that does these super cool custom t-shirts and I wanted to get one done to surprise Weiss, if you two wouldn't mind of course."

Pyrrha is the first to answer. "I don't see any reason why we couldn't. We're here anyway, plus it sounds like a great idea." Yang also seems excited by the idea and adds to Pyrrha's statement. "Yeah, I may even get one done for myself. I've got a few ideas that I think Jason would love, Pyrrha you should get one done too, I bet Jaune would love it." The mention of Jaune being interested in the idea as well seems to get Pyrrha's attention. "Maybe i'll get one too then." Yang and I both laugh. "That's the spirit, great idea Ruby." The rest of the flight to Vale is relatively uneventful, we land and disembark onto the platform. We start to make our way towards the shopping district of Vale, after a few minutes we reach the _From Dust Till Dawn_ dust shop that marks the edge of the shopping district. Continuing on our way we walk for another three blocks before reaching the clothing store known as _Bare Thread Clothing._ The three of us enter with Yang and Pyrrha taking the opportunity to browse what the store has to offer while I make my way to the front desk.

The same girl from my last visit still stands behind the counter, this time I notice a nametag pinned to her shirt that reads 'Lesley' so I decide to greet her. "Hi, I wanted to get a shirt printed, would you be the person to talk to about that?" Lesley nods and smiles. "Yep I can help you with that, what do you want the design to be?" As she says this she takes out a pad of paper and a pen from behind the counter. I think for a moment considering how to explain the design. "I want to have a black t-shirt with white cursive lettering that reads 'I belong to a princess' in white across the chest. Oh and i'd like it to be delivered to me at Beacon please" Lesley nods and jots down notes on the paper as I talk. "Ok sounds great, is there anything else that you need help with?"

"Well not me personally, but I do think that my friends wanted to order shirts for themselfs." I turn from the counter and look around the shop, Yang seems to be leading Pyrrha around the racks I assume to help her pick out a shirt. Using my semblance I dash over to them quickly to get their attention. "If you two have decided on your shirts and designs Lesley up at the front can help you." I say happily, still excited over my shirt. Yang makes her way over towards the counter with a dark yellow shirt in hand, while Pyrrha continues to browse for the time being. I follow Yang back up to the counter and stand beside her as she tells Lesley her design. "I love this shirt but i'd like to add a design onto it and some lettering.

So I want to have my symbol on it-" Yang pauses and points to the heart design on her jacket, which the cashier quickly takes a rough sketch of that is surprisingly accurate. "-In black and underneath that i'd like it to say 'Let's Yang tonight!' underneath the symbol in bold black letters." Lesley nods and continues to jot down notes on her notepad.

 _ **Gross…**_

I decide to go help Pyrrha pick out her shirt while Yang finishes up with hers, Pyrrha seems to have taken a liking to a certain gold shirt in particular that matches her armour color almost perfectly. To give a little reassurance just in case she needs it I compliment the shirt. "That shirt looks great, is that the one that you want? Have you figured out what you want put on it, like lettering and stuff?" Pyrrha smiles at the compliment before answering. "Yeah I like this one, I think i'll get the lettering in red so it has good contrast to it. As for the lettering I was thinking something along the lines of 'My knight in shining armour' with an arrow pointing towards one side so when we walk together it points to Jaune."

"That's a great idea, I can't wait to hear what Jaune says about it." I smile bright as always and Pyrrha laughs. "Yeah he'll definitely be flattered to say the least." From over Pyrrha's shoulder I can see Yang finish at the counter and make her way over to us, which prompts me to direct Pyrrha over to the counter. "Well I see Yang's done Pyrrha you can go order your shirt, we'll browse the store while we wait for you." Pyrrha nods and turns to walk over towards the front counter, Yang and I walk around and look at the many different designs the store has to offer and after a few minutes Pyrrha is finished and we continue on our way to the dress store. Lesley says "Thanks for shopping at _Bare Thread Clothing_ your orders will be delivered in just 2 days." as we leave.

We step back out onto the sidewalk and walk farther into the shopping district at the next intersection, walking for about two blocks before we find the dress shop known as _Thee Vale Dress Stop._ The three of us enter into the small rectangular room, the room extends back away from the street. The room itself is simple with racks of dresses on either wall with one door on the left hand side of the room. In the back there is a small stand with multiple mirrors to cover every angle of the person standing on it. Just to the right of the mirrors are four more door that are most likely changing rooms. A short women who I assume to be a seamstress enters from the door on the left side of the room to greet us. "Hi all my names Ashley, how can I help you three beautiful young ladies this afternoon?" Yang is the one to answer her. "Hello my names Yang, and this is Ruby and Pyrrha." As she mentions us she gestures to each of us in order of our names. "We have a prom coming up and we need to get our dresses."

Ashley nods and replies. "Not to worry we'll get you all taken care of and you'll be walking out of here with your dresses today." She pauses turning back to the door that she entered from which presumably leads to a staff room. "Jessica, Erika, I need your help out here." Two more women, presumably Jessica and Erika also exit the room and start talking with Yang and Pyrrha while Ashley talks to me. "So what are you looking for Ruby?" I think for a moment and try to explain what i'm looking for. "Well i'm looking for something simple to impress my date, my preferred colors would have to be red and black." She nods and disappears for a moment before coming back with a short red dress that resembles my usual combat skirts, there is a black ribbon around the dress just above the waistline to tie it together. The top of the dress is a very small hole fishnet section that is also black to match to ribbon.

Ashley hands me the dress for me to examine, as well as a pair of matching heels. "If you like that one try it on, if not we can keep looking. We can also do any alteration that would be needed to make it fit properly." I nod and take the dress with me to the changing room to try it on, with only a few small issues I manage to get changed into the dress and slip on the heels. When I try to walk out of the changing room however is a different story, the first step I take I trip on the carpet and fall hard. Ashley comes running over to help but I wave her off and lift myself up. "It's fine I'm just not used to wearing heels is all."

 _ **Stupid Lady Stilts! But Princess is worth it.**_

Once i'm back on my feet thanks to a little assistance from Ashley I manage to walk over to the mirrors and onto the stand without falling. I stand in front of the mirrors turning slightly from side to side to be able to see the different angles and such. The dress is comfortable and even fits well, I like the color and style all together it's a great, for a dress. "So what do you think, is it for you or do we need to keep looking?" I think for a moment before answering. "Yeah I think it is, how much is it?" Ashley shakes her head. "I wouldn't know off the top of my head, you go ahead and get changed then meet me at the counter so I can check for you." I nod and carefully step down from the stand, nearly falling again but thankfully I manage brace myself before I do.

I walk over to the counter and hand the dress to Ashley when she asks as she rings up the dress "Would you like to buy the shoes as well from what I saw u don't own a pair do you" smiling sheepishly I answer "Yes please, and no I don't, I never saw the need or have the want to wear a pair…. Until now that is." Ashley smiles as she says "Well your date is very lucky to have you, obviously you care a lot about them." as I hand the cashier the heels I say "I'm actually the lucky one to be honest she has given me more to look for in life than I ever thought possible."

Ashley smiles and replies. "Well if that's the case then it's proof as to how much she cares for you, so don't sell yourself short, okay? The total is 775 lien"

"CRAP!" I yell as Pyrrha walks up behind me "everything ok Ruby?" she asks out of concern. "Yea just 20 lien shy thought with the money dad sent I'd have enough, didn't expect the dress to be so much." Pyrrha shrugs her shoulders and reaches for her purse. "Here I'll help." Pyrrha says as she hands the cashier the remainder "Thank You!" I practically yell as I give her a huge hug, "You're the best Pyrrha." Pyrrha smiles. "don't mention it, to be honest I forgot all about a dress until you messaged me, so this take this as a thank you." She smiles and places her dress on the counter to be paid for with Yang coming up behind her to do the same.

Ashley rings them both up in turn and when she is finished she takes all three of our dresses and places them into a black dry cleaning bag. She slides the bag across the counter, which Yang picks up. We all offer one final 'thank you' to all the seamstresses before we leave to make our way back to the airship dock. The walk back doesn't take more than fifteen minutes before we reach our destination and board the waiting airship. "What are we going to do with the dresses, don't we want it to be a surprise?" Pyrrha asks when we have found a place to sit, Yang pulls out her scroll and starts typing a message. "I'm going to message Jade to see if anyone is in our room, if Weiss is in there or I don't get a reply I guess we'll have to hide them in your room if that's ok."

Pyrrha nods. "Yeah that should be fine, we'll just have to be sure that Jason and Jaune aren't in there...Or we could put them in the closet, Jaune doesn't ever use it anyway and Jason wouldn't have any reason to go in there, so they'd be safe." Yang nods and puts away her scroll. "Ok nevermind then that's a better idea." After the airship is docked and we have made our way off, we head straight for the team dorms. When we reach the top floor of the housing building Pyrrha and I run down the hall to make sure none of our dates are hanging around before signaling for Yang to follow and to check team JNPR's room. Pyrrha pokes her head into the room before giving me a thumbs up to show her room is clear.

Yang and I follow Pyrrha into her room and stash the dresses in the closet. "Well that was fun" Yang says as we start to make our exit. "Yeah I can't wait for our shirts to get here, they are going to be so AWESOME." Yang and I pause at the door to team JNPR's room to say goodbye to Pyrrha before we step across the hall and enter our room. Yang plops down on her bed while I get my pajamas together and get ready to take a shower, but before I do I send off a quick message to Weiss. _Where are you princess?_ I kick off my shoes and take a seat on the edge of Weiss's bed before my scroll buzzes to tell me I received a reply. _I'm almost back to the room, just finished studying._ I smile at the message and check the time on my scroll, it's just after seven o'clock and I haven't gotten to spend any real quality time with my princess today.

 _Wanna watch a movie and cuddle princess?_ I receive a reply almost immediately _Sounds good to me, but tomorrow you have to study twice as long to make up for you ditching today._

 _ **Well today was productive and well worth extra study time, besides it's with Weiss anyway.**_

I stand up from the bed and grab my pajamas and head into the bathroom to shower quickly before Weiss gets back, what a perfect way to end the day.

 **Hello all! First things first I wanted to address why these chapters have been so late lately. (Again) I just recently got a job and school is still in session so between the two I have been pressed for time, I could have had the chapter out by wednesday but it wouldn't have been as good for you guys and that's what this is all about for me writing good stories for you people =D.**

 **But because of my time being more restricted with work and school i'll be changing my upload day starting next week. Instead of uploading on Wednesday I will from this chapter on be uploading on sundays, this gives me more time and less things to worry about during the week so I can keep producing this story for you guys at the quality level that I have been.(Which hopefully you'll agree has improved since chapter one.) So yeah that's it, thank you again for reading and i'll see you all, in the next chapter. =D**


	15. Chapter 15: Climbing into Her Heart

POV: Jade Hunter

Chapter Fifteen: Climbing into Her Heart

I decide to stop and take a breather while I look at my surroundings. Looking down I can see most the school. I'm glad Ruby and them accidentally woke me up from my nap, since then all I could think of doing was climbing up the school tower. Something I have wanted to do since I saw it when I first arrived here at Beacon. I've only been here two days yet it feels like so much has happened. It's funny how sometimes a lot of time goes by yet nothing seems to happen, but other times little time has passed yet so much has happened. Well enough of that if I keep thinking I'm going to think of her again.

I turn myself around and face the tower, looking up I see only another twenty feet to go till the top. Hand over hand and foot over foot I push myself to continue climbing, something I've loved to do since I was a child. As I reach the top of the parapet she starts to dominate my mind once more...

 **I wonder what Blake is doing…**

I pull myself up and find that I am looking at the very person I'd just started to think about. Blake is sitting with her back against the wall next to a door with a book in her hands resting on her lap. "Well I didn't expect to see anyone up here." she says in her calm monotone voice. "Got woken up from my nap when Ruby, Yang and Pyrrha came into the room talking about prom dress shopping, so decided to do what I normally do when I think, climb." I respond while I pull myself the rest of the way up and sit with my back to the parapet across from Blake. "Mind if I sit with you for awhile while I rest?" Blake waits a second then answers while picking her book back up, "That's fine I am just reading."

As I look at her more I realize something she isn't wearing her bow, "Cute ears!" I blurt out without thinking. This actually seems to startle her as if she completely forgot she had her bow off, letting her ears out. She quickly drops her book and goes to put her bow back on. I stand up quickly and say "Stop!" as I walk over to her "You don't have to hide them, I know that bow isn't comfortable on your ears." my comment seems to catch her attention. "How do you know that?" she asks with a look of bewilderment. "My sister is a lynx Fanus so she has cat ears as well, one day she thought it would be cute to wear a bow and after about five minutes or so she took it off saying it hurt her ears." My answer seems to satisfy her as she puts her hands back down on her book, the ribbon still wrapped around it. "Are you still an open book if I ask you something?" The question catches me slightly off guard, but after a moment I remember the comment I made the other night and I answer. "Yes, what do you want to know?"

"Would you mind telling me about your family?"

"Sure, My mom died before I was one, My dad met, married and had a child with a wonderful woman who happened to be a fanus. My sister Lucy was born shortly after I turned two but, even though she is 2 years younger than me she is considered to be more of an adult by our parents. Jason says it's because Lucy doesn't act like a child, since she had to grow up to look after such a childish older sister. Jason grew up a few houses down from us until the accident, then he just up and left. That happened about a month and a half ago now. Since we grew up together and have always been close my parents and sister consider him a member of the family as well. And that's pretty much all there is to my family, nothing to special really in the larger scale of things.

"Wow." is Blake's only response, a silence hangs around for a few minutes before she adds "I never knew Human-Fanus couples could have kids, I was told that the odds of the couple having a child was zero to none, and if there was a way the child would be human. That and I was told it was to dirty to even think about so I never saw it as an option." Her statement confuses me. "An option for what?" I ask not sure what she is thinking but, I see a beautiful look on her face as she is lost deep in thought. "Think about it… Our races are segregated because we are to different but if we can have children, than we aren't as different as some people claim. So, I might be able to use this knowledge in the future to help stop the fighting." Blake starts to withdraw from the conversation while she loses herself in thought.

"Did you just want to know about my family because of your goal or did you have other motives." I say while looking down at her. My question manages to disrupt her train of thought and she looks up to me with a blush starting to appear on her face "What.. N-No I don't know what your talking about… I forgot I have to go study with Weiss!" she stammers while jumping to her feet and running through the doorway.

 **Well if she wasn't thinking about me like that before, she is now...Hopefully**

I sit and think for a moment about Blake and it just makes me start to feel so lonely. Beacons prom is this weekend and I may not have a date but it's time I move on and stop feeling sorry for myself, I am going to go to Vale and use the money Lucy sent me to get a dress and go to the prom. I turn around and look over Beacon Academy grounds and say out loud with a grin "I'm paw-sitive I'll be able to see Blake and whisker away." Weird I use to only get punny around Lucy, guess Blake draws it out of me as well. I chuckle to myself and turn to make my way down the stairs heading to the dorm room.

As I open the dorm building door I see Jaune and Jason in their workout clothes I assume heading to go the training room. "Hey guys, what's up?" I say with wave, Jason answers as Jaune returns the wave. "Hey! So what trouble have you gotten yourself into today?" Jason as usual always knows how to get on my nerves. "I HAVEN'T CAUSED ANY TROUBLE!" I answer with a huff. Jason always does this, I understand it's because I usually am in trouble but it's not like I do it on purpose. Lucy says it's because I was born without a filter for my mouth. Jason just stands silent examining me. "Well you did something, and i'm guessing it had something to do with Blake. She just came running through and ran into me, which is weird especially for her. Now considering we run into you coming from the same direction she did, you can see why i'm suspicious." At the mention of Blake I feel my heart start beating more rapidly, luckily my face is already red from being annoyed with Jason for accusing me of causing trouble. "I had nothing to do with that, she was in a hurry to go meet up with Weiss, she said something about forgetting they were suppose to study together." Jason nods. "So you were with Blake just now, Guess that's explains why she got our names mixed up."

 **So I am on her mind.**

The thought of me dominating Blake's thoughts causes a really big smile before I remembered I was talking to Jason, then my expression goes back to the frown I had after first getting picked on by Jason. We've been friends for a long time, so Jason can, at times, practically read my mind. If he were to know that I am interested in Blake he might get mad at me, since Blake is on Yang's team. "So because she got our names mixed up and called you Jade, you immediately thought it was all my fault. Typical you always blame me for everything." I say looking down at the floor.

 **The pity card only works fifty percent of the time with him, let's see if I get lucky**

Jason takes a deep breath and smiles big as he apologizes "Look I'm sorry, it's just look at how many times i've been right… Fine I was wrong and I jumped to conclusions alright, better now?"

 **YES! Success...now I gotta get out of here before he gets suspicious**

"It's fine don't worry about it, well I'll let you go so you can go workout I need to head to Vale anyway." I say in an attempt to get away from Jason as soon as possible. Surprisingly, Jason just seems indifferent. "Alright, be smart." Just as I step past the two of them Jason start to put things together. "Wait, what do you need in Vale?" Once again I answer without thinking. "A dress."

 **Shit! I really need to think before I talk, oh well just keep walking**

In a hushed version of his usual confident tone I hear Jason ask Jaune. "So Jaune, how do you feel about making a friendly wager?" Shaking my head I make my way to the room and open the door, luckily I was able to get the key app for the door on my scroll. I reach into my backpack and grab my wallet and make my way to the docks to wait for the next airship to Vale.

The trip to Vale is thankfully uneventful, though as I disembark the ship I realize I have no idea where to get a dress. Thankfully I do know where the shopping district is thanks to Ruby and Weiss. I start making my way through town on the same path that they showed me since I did not want to get lost. As I near the shopping district I am startled when I hear my name hollered from the the other side of the large plaza that sits at the edge of the district.

"JAAAAADDDEE!" As I look across I see Nora waving her hand excitedly, I didn't even know she knew my name since I'd never met her. I only know she is part of team JNPR because Jason is staying with them. Before I can even take a step Nora is skipping across the plaza in my direction. "HEY! What's up Jade. Need any help? You look lost, kinda like me when we are out of pancakes….OOoooo pancakes REN! I'm hungry!" I notice behind her the last member of JNPR is reaching his hand out and placing it on Nora's shoulder "Nora slow down." Ren looks at me as if he is giving me a chance to answer the first question Nora asked. "I know where I'm at, just not sure where to go to find the store I need." Nora asks almost immediately, "What store you looking for?" As she speaks she bounces excitedly. "I need a dress shop" I reply, without another word Nora points toward a street that is behind her to my left, "Go down that street three blocks and it's on the right called _Thee Vale Dress Stop_." I nod. "Thanks! I guess i'll see you guys later." Is my only reply as I start heading in the direction shown.

I open the door, causing a bell to ring followed by a voice. "Welcome my name's Ashley. How can I help you today?" Hurried, I reply. "Hi just came by looking for a dress to wear to prom, could you point me in the directions of your purple dresses?" She offers a gesture of her arm. "Certainly, just follow me." Ashley answers as she leads me over to a rack of dresses in the far back left corner, opposite to the mirrors. "Here are all our purple dresses of varying shades, take your time and let me know if you need anything else." I start to look through the dresses trying to find a color that matches the strip in my eye since it's my favorite color.

I come across three different dresses, which I pull off the rack and bring over to Ashley. "Could I try these on please." Ashley nods. "Certainly, let me unlock a dressing room for you. Do you want to try shoes on with them? I can get you a few pairs that match that color to try on if you'd like." I had completely forgotten about shoes. "Yes please that would be great." I walk into the unlocked changing room as Ashley walks away to fetch the shoes, while I wait I decide to try on the first of the three dresses. Immediately I don't like how the dress fits, it's way too constricting and tight so I take it off and switch to dress number two.

The second dress fits well so I step out to look at myself in the mirror. As I step out I happen to see Ashley walking back to me with a couple different pairs of purple shoes, all roughly the same shade. "Here you go. Oh that dress is very cute on you!" I look in the mirror and I can see that she's right I look really cute. "To bad it's just cute, it would be great if I wanted to be a wallflower. I need something better." I step back into the changing room to switch to the third and final dress, when I do I hear Ashley talking to me through the door. "Trying to catch someone's eye are you?" "Yeah from what I can tell she might be interested in me or at the very least not opposed to being into me, it's confusing really." I answer honestly.

Ashley goes quiet for a second while I continue changing. "Damn!" I exclaim realizing that the third dress, even though it's my size doesn't fit my body type. "Everything ok in there?" Ashley asks concern evident in her tone. "Yea just this dress doesn't fit my shape if you know what I mean, it seems like it was made for women with much larger chest. Even if it did fit I still don't think it would be the head turner I'd want it to be." Ashley speaks up again with excitement in her voice. "Ya know what, I think I know exactly what you're looking for give me one moment i'll be just a second." As I wait I examine the shoes that Ashley sat in the dressing room for me and realize they all have heels. This may not go over to well since I've never worn a shoe with any kind of heel before, hopefully my natural sense of balance helps…

Two sudden knocks at the door catch my attention. "It's me Ashley I think I have the perfect dress for you!" I open the door and hand Ashley the other three dresses while taking the new one from her. I close the door once more and start to look over the dress as I hear Ashley say "To turn the most heads and hopefully get the attention of a very lucky girl, I suggest the pair of shoes with the largest heels, it'll accent the assets you do have quite nicely."

The dress is simple yet elegant, it has a halter top with a deep V-neck. After I put the dress on I realize at the bottom of the V is a large, blue, oval gemstone that sits right above my navel. The dress is snug with my tone body and hugs all my curves, yet doesn't feel constricting. The material is very soft against my skin and feels just perfect. Time for the finishing touch, as I look over to the bench to grab the shoes that go with it. I sit and grab the pair of six inch heels and gingerly slide them on my feet. They fit nice and match the dress perfectly, guess now I have to try and walk in them. I take my time as I stand, once I am fully upright I open the door and take the first step followed by a second and a third. I keep my arms out a little to the sides to help with my balance but relax by the time I make it in front of the mirrors

"WOW! How right was I, you will definitely turn heads at the prom. Is this your first time wearing heels?" Ashley asks while walking up to me from behind. I notice in the mirror her eyes seem glued to my backside for about ten seconds before I answer. "Yes it is my first time wearing them. Surprisingly not as difficult as I had initially thought."

"Well you're doing a lot better than that last girl I helped, she was a tiny thing and kept falling but she looked adorable in them." My curiosity gets the better of me. "Red tipped black hair?" I ask thinking she must be talking about Ruby. "Yea, you know her?" Ashley answers slightly surprised. "Yeah I'm staying with her and her team while I visit." Ashley nods. "So how bout you give us a spin and see how it looks?" Ashley asks.

I slowly spin in front of the mirrors looking myself over and I must say I do look amazing, my ass-ets especially. "I look great, love the dress and shoes. How much are they?" Ashely answers. "Not sure of the top of my head, get changed and I'll meet you at the counter and get you rung up." I quickly change and meet Ashley at the counter handing the dress and shoes over so she can ring me up. "Well aren't you lucky." Ashley says as she scans the dress and shoes. "That will be 465 lien, they are both on sale!" she says with a wink. "Wow I guess I am lucky. Thank you." I say while handing my money over. Ashley quickly hands me my change with the dress bag any my recite, as well as a piece of paper with a phone number on it. "Just in case you don't catch her attention, wanted to let you know you caught mine." I Thank her again and head out making my way back to the docks to go back to Beacon.

As I get back on campus I head over to the dorm and deposit off my dress and grab Sickle and Slice, I feel so vulnerable without my kames at my side. Now that I have my weapons I decide to go on a walk to clear my head.

 **I hope Blake likes my dress….**

With no real destination I head out towards the woods, I feel most at home in forests since I grew up in a small village practically surrounded by trees. Almost immediately I get lost in thought thinking about Blake and prom and just wander around the woods on auto pilot, wondering if she will reciprocate my feelings. I've barely know her or spent time with her yet I feel drawn to her, ever since I first met her I was attracted by this animalistic feeling. I'm not new to relationships or dating, I've even been with half a dozen girls already even fell in love once so what is so different about this one? Sighing I look up realizing there is only one way I'm going to figure this out, and that is to be by her side and woo her to see how deep these feelings go.

 **Umm where am I?**

As I look around I see nothing familiar, guess I was so lost in thought I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I climb the tallest tree beside me to get my bearings, I couldn't have gone that far. As I near the top of the tree I hear a loud squawk like screech coming from my right, as I turn I'm blind-sided by a never more the size of an ostrich. It's claws connecting with my right bicep cutting a deep gash causing me to scream as well as knocking me off balance, and suddenly I am falling. Using my left hand and my legs I try to grab ahold of something anything to keep me from falling. I land with a thud on a large branch a few feet off the ground, knocking the wind out of me as a sharp pain suddenly burns in my lower left calf. I look down to inspect what the problem is and see a small broken branch cut deep into my leg. I move my leg, to make sure it isn't broken. Other than the sharp pain it's fine for now.

 **Shit where is the Nevermore..**

Looking to the sky through the tree branches I pull out Slice with my left hand since my right arm is hurt no way I can put it into featherdraw mode. Suddenly I hear another screech, to avoid another injury I place the blade of my kami on the branch and swing to the ground as softly as I can. Once I land I look up to the sky again only to see the nevermore diving straight for me. I place Slice in front of my face in an attempt to block the grimm, I hear a barrage of bullets being fired and subsequently piercing the nevermore. Worry on my face I quickly scan my surroundings and much to my surprise I see Blake running out of the bushes.

Blake quickly reaches my side. "Are you ok? Are there anymore?" I answer. "I'm hurt but not too bad, and it seems there was only one." Blake examines my wounds and a look of relief sweeps over her. "Well it doesn't seem like any arteries or veins were hit, let me get you patched up and I'll help you back to the dorm." Blake makes quick work at stopping the bleeding using strips of my shirt that I rip off for her, then using her ribbons that she keeps wrapped around her wrists to hold the makeshift bandages in place. While she is patching me up I can't help but stare at her face and see the emotions in her eyes. Staring at Blake reminds me of my sister Lucy in more ways than just having "cute kitty cat ears." Her attentive nature, deep sense of caring and her mature attitude all remind me of Lucy. After the adrenalin wears off I ask the question that has me perplexed. "How did you find me?" Blake smiles as she answers "Did you forget about my cute kitty cat ears so quickly? I heard a scream and figured someone was in trouble, so I hurried as quickly as I could." I can feel my cheeks start to turn red out of embarrassment over her hearing my scream.

Blake takes my silence as an opportunity to ask a question of her own "You think you can stand? It would be best to get out of the forest as soon as possible, just in case." I consider for a moment before answering. "I may need help to stand my leg is movable but don't think I could put much weight on it." Blake nods to my answer and then says "Well then I'll help you, just wrap your arm around and lean on me." As I drape my arm over her shoulders I whisper "Anytime!"

 **Shit, yet again I speak without thinking**

I blush an even darker red when I hear Blake start to chuckle quietly, so I turn my head away from her as she helps me stand. "Let's get back to the dorms." Blake says as she takes the lead in walking us back. We make it back to the campus grounds without any further incident or talking for that matter I suddenly realize. I know Blake prefers quiet but I atleast figured she would ask me some questions like why I was out there. Curiously I turn my head just enough so I can see her in my peripheral and surprisingly she is as red as I was.

 **Why is she so red?**

I think about our situation for a moment and realize with me leaning on her the sids of our chests are basically rubbing against each other, which causes my face to redden again. From behind we suddenly hear "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED" followed by rapid footsteps running up behind us. Great that's Jason's voice, he is going to blame me for all this I just know it. We turn and see Jason as he stops right in front of us. "Jade what happened? Your beat to hell and Blake is practically carrying you. You promised you weren't going to cause any trouble?" Surprisingly enough he sounds more defeated than angry. Blake suddenly speaks up "It was an accident, Jade got attacked by a decent sized nevermore while she was on a walk. Luckily I was close enough to hear the commotion and came to help. We didn't warn her about the grimm's presence in the forest." I quickly speak up recapping everything that happened to better explain since Jason didn't seem to buy Blake's explanation fully.

When i'm finished explaining, Jason looks us over curiously before speaking again. "I see, well here let me help Jade to the room Blake, give you a break." Blake quickly hands me off to Jason and we all start heading toward the dorm building. Jason begins to chuckle. "What were you thinking about that had you so distracted you got lost in the first place?" He questions turning to look in Blake's general direction. "Was it possibly a special girl, maybe one I know?" I can feel my cheeks grow redder than ever at the questions, which basically gives him his answer. Knowing he is doing this just to pick on me I get rather annoyed. "SHUT UP!" I yell as I look down at the ground to hide my bright red face. Jason starts Laughing as Blake opens the door for us. Jason listens to me, at least as we go up the stairs.

Once we are on our floor Jason stops and says "Blake saved your life, I think you need to properly thank her. Maybe you should take her to prom." He says loud enough for both Blake and I to hear. The comment makes my mind go blank for a second as I try to process what exactly was said. Once it fully sinks in I mumble "Jason you're an ass. I'll take it from here." I give him a hard hit in the gut with my elbow as I lean against the wall, he coughs slightly but keeps laughing. I start to make my way towards the room, halfway to the room I hear Jason talking to Blake. "Thanks again for helping her...and letting her stay in the room, it means a lot." to which Blake replies "It's no problem really, I enjoy her company." I go to pull out my scroll to open the door as a hand rests on my shoulder. "I'll open that for you" Blake says as I turn to see whose hand it was. "Thanks." I say as she opens the door and positions herself back at my side pulling my arm over her shoulder and surprising me as she interlaces our fingers. "Your welcome and I'd love to go to prom with you, but first let's get this cloth replaced with proper bandages."

 **Blake just agreed to go to the prom with me….YES!**


	16. Chapter 16: Clash Into Rage

POV: Jaune Arc

Chapter Sixteen: Clash Into Rage

I can feel my arms start to give under the weight of the bar. "Come on Jaune push, three more reps you got it." Jason practically shouts as I extend my arms fully outward once more, before bringing them systematically back down so that the bar can touch my chest. _Two,_ counting to myself as I push with all my strength to bring the bar back up. _One,_ the bar hits my chest a little harder than intended as I bring it down, but I do my best to avoid the pain of the impact and push the bar up one last time. Jason steps in the help me rack the weight on the safeties before offering me a hand up off the bench, which I accept and am lifted up to the floor to stand next to him.

"See look I told you dude, yah did great." He gives me a pat on the back before continuing. "Now you'll at least look a little more manly in that dress." Chuckling to himself obviously pleased after winning our bet. "I still think it was rigged, considering you were there when they got together." I reply annoyed that I have to wear a dress to prom tomorrow. "First off, I didn't do anything to interfere. Second, even if I did, we just bet on the fact that they would get together by prom. We never specified that we couldn't influence them either way." The smirk is clear on his face, he has thought this through and won fair and square. There's no way i'm getting out of this.

I let out a sigh to show my displeasure which only makes Jason's chuckling grow louder. "Fine I lost but do you have to rub it in?" I snap at him, but it seems to have no effect on him. I can feel the anger flowing through me and finally I give into it completely, without thinking I shout at Jason. "I'm gonna wipe that smile off your smug face, let's have a spar right now." The smirk is gone from Jason's face but the look of confidence remains. "Jaune, your my friend and all...I honestly don't think it would be a fair fight for you." He shifts his weight, uncomfortable. I think for a moment before adding. "Well there's always Pyrrha." I hoped the mention of facing Pyrrha in combat would make him reconsider, unfortunately I was wrong. "Two on one isn't very fair we either do one on one or doubles." He pauses for a moment. "I mean i've always got Yang."

 _ **This may have been a mistake…**_

Unwilling to back down out of pure pride, I gulp and reply. "Sounds great, Pyrrha and I against you and Yang. Couples match of the century, although I do think we should ask them first." Jason nods and pulls out his scroll, he begins typing a message before pausing for a moment. "When are we doing this?" I shrug my shoulders so Jason fills the blank in himself. "I'm free now let's do it now." And continues to type out his message to Yang. I pull out my scroll as well and message Pyrrha. _Ok so I may have just setup a doubles fight with you and I facing Jason and Yang. Would you please do this, I'll owe you one._ I send off the message and wait for a reply, which comes rather quickly. _Don't worry about it Jaune, i've been wanting to test Jason's combat abilities anyway. Though I am curious how this match came about…_

 _Thanks Pyrrha, you're amazing. I'll explain the reasons later, meet us in the sparring arena in about ten minutes._ I slip my scroll back in my pocket and tell Jason about the reply. "Pyrrha's in I told her to meet us in the sparring arena in about ten, what did Yang say?" He smiles and puts his scroll away as well. "She seemed excited about it, said she would grab _Ember Celica_ and meet us in the arena... Well I wish you luck." He extends his right hand for a handshake, which I accept and reply. "May the best team win." After our handshake we both turn and silently make our way out of the weight room. Once we exit I take a right to make my way toward the arena, while Jason runs outside to call his locker so that he can grab his weapons and armour. I pause to look through the glass doors to watch the locker impact, as I watch Jason suit up in his armour and load his weapon I start to wonder whether this fight is even winnable.

 _ **Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…**_

As I turn to head into the arena I can feel my adrenaline start to wear off and a growing uneasiness take over. I try my best to calm my nerves as I step into the arena, standing off on the far side and wait for everyone else to show up. After a few minutes of waiting Jason appears, with Yang and Pyrrha beside him. I wave to them as they enter the arena, Yang returns the gesture while Pyrrha makes her way across to me. We share a brief embrace and a short kiss before we get interrupted by an annoyed Jason. "Hey if I remember correctly you challenged me to this fight, let's get this done already I got shit to do today."

As he says this he twirls his spear in one hand, then with one quick motion slams the tip into the floor to be able to lean against the shaft. I give Pyrrha a reassuring nod and turn to be able to face the two of them. "So what are the rules?" Yang questions as she drops back into her fighting stance. "I was thinking a normal tournament style fight, first one to redline loses." I reply which seems to satisfy them. Jason pulls his spear out of the floor and balances it in his hands, then drops back into his combat stance. Yang, Pyrrha, and myself take the hint and ready our weapons as well, signalling that we are all ready to begin. Jason is the first to move quickly dashing at me in an attempt to bring me into the range of his spear.

I easily counter his first jab with my own weapon, knocking the tip of the weapon to the floor at my feet. Jason quickly recovers and comes back at me, this time my counter is too slow to be fully effective. I still manage to block his initial attack but end up leaving myself exposed in the process. I get punished for my mistake almost immediately, the shaft of Jason's spear slams into my chest piece hard. Even though my armour absorbs most of the damage the force of the hit still knocks me off balance. I jump back twice to give myself some room to work with while I plan my next move.

 _ **Another sloppy block like that will be the end of me…**_

I glance across to the other side of the ring to check on Pyrrha, her and Yang are exchanging blows but of course, she's holding her own against the blonde brawler for the time being. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about my own situation as another few jabs from Jason put me back on the defending side of the fight once again. I block and dodge the attacks the best I can but I need to get on the offensive. If I don't take the fight to Jason his strength and stamina will just overwhelm me, so I decide to take action. On his next strike I sidestep to avoid the attack, swinging my sword flat with all my strength at the center of his spear so that the blunt side of the blade slams the weapon from Jason's grasp. The weapon clatters to the floor, I follow up with a shield bash that finds its mark in the middle of his chest causing Jason to stumble and fall to his knees. I start to close the distance between the too of us, being sure to keep my sword readied just in case.

 _ **Something doesn't seem right, why isn't he getting up…**_

When I get within striking distance of Jason he suddenly jump forward slamming his right shoulder into my gut, the force of the hit throws me and I land hard on my back. While i'm down I can see my green haired opponent recover his weapon from where it had dropped, and start to alter the weapon it's ranged variation. I struggle against the pain in my gut, forcing myself off the floor. The last thing I want is to get eliminated early and leave Pyrrha to fight the two of them on her own, especially after I dragged her into this in the first place.

I start to charge Jason, but stop abruptly in an attempt to bait Jason's first shot. My fake out works and Jason's first shot lands on the arena floor in front of me, the affected area covered with a thick sheet of ice. I asses the situation and start to prepare for my next move when a sudden shout from off to my left catches my attention, I turn to face the direction the shout came from. The situation of the other two fighters has taken a turn, so that Pyrrha is now in trouble. As I watch Yang manages to slip a powerful uppercut past Pyrrha's shield, which connects with her stomach sending her flying upwards.

As the impact of the punch causes Pyrrha to fly upwards, Yang positions herself underneath her preparing to deliver the final blow that will eliminate Pyrrha. Acting on instinct I ignore Jason entirely and charge wholeheartedly at Yang, I start to close the distance between us. When I am about halfway to my target Pyrrha starts to fall rapidly back down to the ground, causing me to push myself harder trying to move faster. I close my eyes as Yang gets within my striking distance, putting all the strength I can muster behind my swing. I feel my weapon connect, the momentum stop, and there is nothing but silence.

When I finally gain the courage to open my eyes the scene before me is surprising to say the least, Yang appears to have been surprised by my attack and therefore didn't have time to brace herself. The force of the impact coupled with the fact that she didn't see it coming caused her to be sent flying, not very far but yet far enough for her to be knocked out of the ring while also leaving a decent sized gash on her right arm. Her aura blocked the damage enough for the attack to not be highly damaging but enough to successfully eliminating her from the fight.

 _ **I can't believe it, did I just eliminate Yang? This is hands down one of the best moments of my life…**_

I throw my arms into the air to celebrate, even letting out a slight cheer. Unfortunately my of pride doesn't last long as I forgot about Pyrrha falling and she lands on me, smashing me to the floor. "Sorry Jaune." She whispers to me as she climbs off of me to offer me a hand up, which I accept getting to my feet I feel dizzy and rather disoriented probably thanks to the hit to the head I just received. "Noo...problem Pyrrha, anytime." I manage to say while trying to steady myself, Pyrrha smiles as I shake my head to clear it. I feel slightly better for a moment before Pyrrha's expression changes and she yells. "Look out." Suddenly i'm back on the floor face down with the sounds of metal clanging against metal above me, I roll over onto my back to be able to see what's happening. Jason must have come up from behind me when I was trying to orientate myself and Pyrrha saved me from an attack I couldn't see coming, I guess that's another thing I owe her for.

As I look at Jason's face there is something different about him, he looks the same as he usually does but something about his expression is different from how it usually is. Even his fighting style seems to have changed in some way, though I can't really make out what it is from the angle i'm looking at. I find and recover my sword from where it had fallen beside and start to stumble to one knee. I balance myself and level my sword and brace myself with my shield arm, watching as Pyrrha continues to contest rapid barrage of attacks. Something is definitely wrong with his fighting style, the normally controlled and seemingly calculated attacks he usually is known for have been replaced by reckless and brutally powerful sweeping attacks coming from all directions.

I can see the strain in Pyrrha's face as she blocks, her fight with Yang seems to have had more of an effect on her that I had originally thought. One of Jason's attacks cracks against Pyrrha's wrist, knocking her shield from her grasp. The first attack is immediately followed by another quick jab from the blunt end of the spear directly to Pyrrha's gut, causing her to keel over before dropping down onto all fours. Jason then turns his attention to me rather than finishing off Pyrrha for some reason, with his emerald eyes focused on me through the eye slits in his helmet I finally realize what is different in his expression… pure rage. The short distance between the two of us disappears as Jason continues to make his way towards me, I lift my sword above my head horizontally bracing with both hands for the incoming attack.

The loud thwack of wood connecting with metal rings in the air as I adjust my position to block again, the same sound rings in the air once again as I barely manage to block another heavy swing. The shear strength that is put behind the swing knocks me off my balance, I stumble from my knees and land on my backside hard. Unfortunately Jason doesn't hesitate in the slightest and continues to bombard me with jabs and strikes, I raise my shield to block his jabs and more direct attacks while using my sword to knock away or block the non direct strikes.

 _ **This won't work for long, eventually he'll just overpower me. I need to get back on my feet.**_

The next strike that Jason throws I bash his arm away with my shield, followed by a quick jab to his breast plate giving me time to try to force myself to my feet. When I stand my legs wobble slightly but I manage to stay upright using my sword to brace myself. I make it to my feet just in time as Jason starts another barrage of attacks. The first of his attacks being a very careless and poorly aimed swing of the blunt end of his spear, instead of handling the weapon as it should be Jason has instead elected to just swing the spear wildly like a club. As terrible as his attack is strategically it unfortunately proves effective, as I raise my sword in an attempt to block the swing the force proves too much and my hand is merely batted out of the way.

I try to bring my weapon back up to be able to block but a screaming pain in my right wrist puts an end to my attempt, instead I raise my shield effectively blocking his first jab then the second and the third. I put everything I have into blocking Jason's many attacks, I can feel my fatigue start to wear on me. My blocks start to get progressively slower as the burning in my shield arm grows increasingly worse.

 _ **There's no way I can keep this up, it's only a matter of time…**_

The inevitable is upon me soon, Jason goes for a high jab to my upper body which I narrowly manage to block. Though my lower half is left fully open in the meantime which Jason capitalizes on by kicking my feet out from under me, I fall forward nearly falling into Jason but he takes a step back and I instead slams his knee into the side of my head. My momentum shift so instead of falling forward I land on the right side of my body, crashing to the floor. There is a high pitch ringing in my ears and my vision is blurry from the hard impact, I try to move but my body doesn't obey. My mind is racing as I watch Jason wind up the final strike to finish me, i'm surprised when I notice that I am staring down the barrel of his weapon meaning he must have switched back to the ranged variant for some reason.

I brace myself for whatever is to come next, I hear the faint metallic click of Jason pulling the trigger then time seems to start to move in slow motion. A sudden blur blocks my vision, it's only after the explosion of Jason's shot hitting her shield and explode that I realize that the figure is Pyrrha who just jumped in front of my to block the attack. I watch on in shock as the explosion that was intended for me impacts with Pyrrha's shield causing her to fly backwards out of the ring. While Pyrrha is flying back she throws her shield before landing hard outside of the ring, taking her out of the fight. The shield flies towards Jason at blinding speed, with no time to react or for the situation to even register the shield connects with the side of Jason's helmet.

Jason stumbles slightly but manages to keep up right, a loud shout of anger and pain follows accompanied by a very colorful selection of curse words before he rips off his helmet and throws it off to his right to bounce harmlessly away from him. Even with his helmet and aura to protect him the impact of the shield still seemed to have done a fair amount of damage, a bad concussion at the very least. As I continue to watch Jason it seems that his adrenaline starts to wear off and the pain really starts to set in, he drops his weapon and clutches his head as he starts to sway slightly to one side. Before he can catch himself he falls to the floor with an audible thud.

I feel my head start to clear slightly, I also start to gain control over my movements again. I prop myself up on my right arm causing a stinging soreness to shoot through my extremities, which I do my best to ignore forcing myself to my feet. I grab my sword with my left hand and head over to where Jason is still laying on his stomach screaming furiously, which is muffled by the floor. When I am standing over the top of Jason I put the tip of my sword to the back of his neck to ensure he doesn't try to tackle me again like he did earlier. "Jason, it's over man give it up." The shouts stop but Jason says nothing keeping his face in the floor.

Since he doesn't respond I speak up to question him again. "Jason?" Jason rolls over onto his back so that his eyes can meet my own, there's still a look of anger in his eyes but I don't think it's directed at me. He speaks quietly so that only I can hear him. "Yeah Jaune I know it's over…" He pauses for a moment. "Sorry about all of that, I was taking it way too far. I lost my head when I saw you hit Yang and I could have fucking killed you…" He trails off and I extend a hand to help him up which he accepts and, with help from me, stands up. "It's fine Jason, I understand honestly im sure id feel the same if something were to happen with Pyrrha… Are we still on for lifting sunday?" Jason laughs but stops quickly and grasps his head. "Sure depending on how this head problem goes."

He nods and together we make our way over the where Pyrrha and Yang are waiting for us, Yang is on Jason immediately questioning him with worry clear in her voice. "Are you ok, that shield looked like it hurt." As she says this she glances back to Pyrrha behind her, Pyrrha rubs the back of her head and replies. "Sorry about that I wanted to take you out of the fight not give you a concussion, at most I thought you would dodge it and give Jaune the advantage." Jason just dismissed both of them with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it Pyrrha I was being an asshole and in honesty I deserved it." He pauses and turn to Yang, giving her a brief peck. "As for you i'm fine, my head is killing me though I think I should go see the doc." Yang nods and the two of them leave together, with Yang pausing as they leave to grab Jason's helmet.

After they have left I turn to Pyrrha. "How are you feeling?" I question as I trigger my shield into its passive state, sheathing my sword and clipping it to my belt. "I'm fine, if i'm truly honest Jason's hit only knocked the wind out of me. I should have been able to help you sooner but I couldn't catch my breath for some reason." I laugh and reply. "I'm just glad you helped when you did I would have been in trouble otherwise since my wrist may be sprained from blocking all those attacks, by the way that thing you did with your shield was really freaking amazing." My response gets a giggle from Pyrrha as we walk back to our dorms hand in hand.

 _ **Well that was one hell of a way to get ready for prom...**_


	17. Chapter 17: Fire and Ice

**Hello everyone, quick apology for the missed upload, I was on vacation for a few days and when I got back I got sick... fun times -_- Anyway, the combination of the two ended up causing me to not have much time to write so apologies. As always guys please remember to follow myself as well as the story, and send me reviews I need your help to make sure I correct any problems you guys may find. Thanks again guys, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**

POV: Weiss Schnee

Chapter Seventeen: Fire and Ice

I walk around the redecorated cafeteria, rechecking every little detail of the room for the third time today. Yang reluctantly follows me with her clipboard, jotting down notes about our findings while making her impatience well known. I do my best to ignore the brutes complaints, with little time left until the doors open I don't want any chance of anything going wrong and ruining what should be a perfect night. Having checked the final table and finding it satisfactory, I change directions to head over to the refreshments table. I count the number of cups stacked at the table, give the punch a final taste and start to move on to the next item on my mental checklist before Yang interrupts me.

"Come on ice queen, we checked over everything twice already and so far nothing has changed. We only have a little over an hour until the dance starts, I haven't even finished my hair or changed into my dress yet." As much as I may hate to admit it the barbarian does have a point, considering I need to get ready myself I give in. "Fine, everything seems to be taken care of anyway." Relieved to be done with her work Yang smiles. "Come on ice princess, let's go get ready." Much to my protest Yang wraps her arm around my shoulders and escorts me back to the dorm room, when we get to the door she finally removes her arm and unlocks the door. Yang opens the door and steps inside, being sure to hold it long enough for me to step through.

The Yang walks over to her bed and hops up, while I make my way to the closet at the foot of her and Blake's bunk.

Being careful of where I step I make it past Jades makeshift sleeping area and open the closet door. I reach inside grabbing mine and Yang's dresses, having gotten what I came for I turn and start to make my way towards the bathroom. I pause next to Yang's bunk to hang her dress from the top beds frame before turning to continue my way to the bathroom, my own dress still in hand. Just before I reach the door, Yang's voice stops me once more. "Hey Weiss, hold on a second." Her tone is deadly serious, which puts me rather on edge considering how Yang normally acts.

I turn to face Yang and notice that she is sitting on the edge of her bed, her expression is blank but there is a look in her eye which only worsens my uncertainty. Yang hops down from her bunk, landing on the floor with a dull thud. She points to my bed, which I take as a signal to sit down. I take the hint, taking a seat before setting my clothes neatly on the bed to be sure that they don't get wrinkles. Yang makes the short walk across the room and seats herself on the floor in front of me, the blonde girl looking into my eyes. A awkward silence hangs in the air for what seems like an eternity before she finally speaks.

"Weiss, I have tried to be supportive of you and my sister becoming more…close lately. I'd like to think I have done a pretty good job about not flipping out about you two, as much as I may have wanted to at times." Her expression hardens slightly as she seems to be figuring out how to word what she has to say. "I guess what I want to know is do you really care for my sister? I'm not trying to imply anything by asking that it's just, Ruby has really fallen for you and I just want to make sure she won't get hurt." The question catches me off guard as I try to process what she is saying, I can feel anger start to take hold of my thoughts. How dare she, I would never do anything to hurt Ruby. I practically shout my reply to Yang.

"OF COURSE I CARE FOR HER YOU INCONSIDERATE-" I stop myself when I notice Yang's expression change to something that isn't quite anger, but rather something in between. Almost like a warning causing me to reevaluate my approach. I let out an audible sigh, dropping my gaze to the floor in front of Yang and continue. "I'm sorry for snapping at you let me try this again. I know you are just trying to look out for your sister Yang and I respect that, so I want you to know I would never do anything to hurt Ruby ever… I care for her more than i've cared for anyone before, someone like her is rare in my kinda life and I don't ever want to lose her."

There is a momentary silence before I add. "And while I respect you as the older sister if you ever question my feelings for Ruby again I will not refrain from fighting you, even if I would probably lose." My response earns a chuckle from Yang as she stands up from the floor to stand in front of me. "That's all I wanted to hear Ice Queen, don't think I won't still be keeping an eye on your two but you do have my blessing." As she says this Yang offers me her hand, which I accept and much to my surprise I am pulled into a near lethal bear hug from the blonde brawler. I try to struggle against her grip, which only causes her to squeeze harder until I am coughing for air.

"Yang… I can't breath." I manage to squeak out which thankfully gets me out of her death grip, to avoid the moment turning awkward I turn and grab my dress from the bed once more and this time make it to the bathroom. I place my dress carefully on the counter and check my scroll briefly for the time, it is four thirty which gives me an hour and a half to get dressed and back to the cafeteria to open the doors. I decide to start with a shower, turning the handles to adjust it to my personal liking before climbing inside. I make quick work of cleaning myself fully from head to toe before turning off the water and stepping back out.

I grab my towel from the peg on the wall behind me and use it to dry myself. When I have finished I wrap myself in the towel and start to work on my hair, grabbing my hair dryer and my comb I get to work on the mangled mess that is my hair. As I slowly start to work my comb through, my white locks start to separate and straighten out. After about an hour of work my hair is done and set into my usual ponytail, and I am also in my dress doing one final check before I step back out to the room. Yang is standing on the far side of the window looking outside, she has already changed into her simple white dress and appears to be waiting for me. I announce my presence with a fake cough. "You look lovely Yang, are you ready to go?"

Yang smiles and shifts her weight from one side to the other before answering. "Thank you. And well about that. I was actually gonna go meet up with Jason first, so we could walk together." I roll my eyes at her answer but decide not to try and fight it figuring that Yang will do what she pleases anyway. "Fine, but I still expect you to be on time." Yang's smile brightens as she makes a hasty exit from the room, the door crashing shut behind her. I sigh and walk alone back to the cafeteria. I spend the little bit of time I have left messaging Ruby to make sure she'll be here on time. Before I know it, it is six o'clock and Yang has returned with Jason in tow. I greet Jason courteously, which he replies to with a simple nod and wave. "You look nice Jason." I attempt a compliment but it doesn't seem to have much of an effect, his only response being a mumbled "Thanks, you too". He is wearing a full black suit with green detailing as well as a yellow and green striped tie, which matches Yang's primary color almost perfectly. The suit itself looks lovely. Though he doesn't seem very comfortable wearing it.

With silence hanging in the air I excuse myself to open the doors. With the doors now open couples start to enter in a steady stream, everyone making their way to the dance floor or the punch bowl or even finding a table to sit at. Amongst the large crowds I notice Ruby and call out to her. "Ruby over here." The black and red haired leader turning to locate where my voice came from, I wave to make myself more noticeable in the large crowd. Ruby finally sees me and comes running over, stumbling multiple times before finally reaching me. We share an embrace and a brief kiss before I take her hand and lead her to the dance floor, by now the building is packed with other students and much to my own relief everyone seems to be having a good time.

I pause for a moment, noticing a very large group forming towards the far side of the dance floor. I attempt to make my way over to see what's going on by Ruby keeps me locked at her side. "No princess, you have been stressing about every little detail all week. It's obviously starting to take its tole on you we need to have some fun, so we are going to dance." She smiles brightly and leads me back to our original destination of the dance floor. The music starts to play, the first song that is played is slow. I turn to face Ruby, my cheeks already starting to turn red. Ruby has the same look on her face, I decide to make the first move by grabbing Ruby's hand and pulling her in close. Taking the hint Ruby wraps her arms together around the back of my neck as I grab her waist. Almost by instinct I start to move to the rhythm of the song, the movement starts to become second nature as I lose myself in the beautiful eyes of my girlfriend.

I start to flash back to when I first admitted my feelings for the crimson huntress, the embarrassment of indirectly shouting my feelings in front of Yang and Jason, as well as, the strange girl Jade that came to visit. The worry and insecurity I felt when I ran into the bathroom, followed by relief when Ruby followed my lead and came into the bathroom. The way she took the initiative and seated herself in my lap and placed our faces together telling me how she wanted to be mine, as much as, she wanted me to be hers, but she didn't want our relationship to be hidden either. Ruby's expression of her feelings calmed the swell of insanity that was my emotions. It also made me realize that hiding our relationship could only hurt her and that is the last thing I want to do. Accepting the sentiment I apologized to Ruby for even considering hiding the relationship.

I snap out of my flashback to notice that a new song is playing and that Ruby now has her head on my chest, only deepening the blush on my face. We stay like this for the remainder of the song, absorbed into each other entirely. When the song unfortunately ends Ruby pulls back to meet my eyes. "I'm gonna go get some air, wanna come along?" I consider for a moment before replying. "No thanks, i'll just wait here for you. Don't keep me waiting." I wink as I say this and Ruby smiles, turning to make her way to the door. Being now by myself I decide I will finally see what the large crowd of snickering people is about, as I get closer I push my way to the front of the crowd. When I get to the front I'm shocked to see Jaune, in a dress, dancing with Pyrrha completely ignoring the entire crowd that have surrounded them. I notice Jason dancing with Yang as well, next to them also ignoring the crowd. The sight of Jaune dancing in a dress is an amusing one to say the least, but what is really surprising about the spectacle is that he is managing to dance perfectly in the dress without even stumbling.

A sudden tap on my shoulder from behind demands my attention, I turn to see Neptune standing behind me. "Hey there Weiss, would you uh care to dance?" He offers his hand out but I graciously decline. "Sorry Neptune, I'm actually waiting for my date at the moment." Neptune lowers his hand and looks puzzled by my answer. "Oh, ok then. I just thought that you'd be here alone considering when I asked you to be my date a couple weeks ago you shot me down, I guess i'll talk to you later then." Neptune lowers his head as he walks away and I start to feel bad so I stop him from leaving. "Neptune wait, it isn't that I don't want to dance with you I just well…" I pause for a moment considering if I should tell him the full truth or not, though thinking back to my bathroom conversation with Ruby I decide that I should tell him.

"Ruby and I our a couple, so I turned you down because I didn't really know how to or if I even wanted to try to explain the whole situation so turning you down seemed like the easiest way to deal with it. I'm sorry I should have found a better way to deal with it." Neptune's expression changes from one of confusion to one of acceptance as my explanation seems to sink in, a small smile appears as he replies. "Hey no hard feelings right, thanks for atleast explaining it to me… I wish you both the best." His smile fades momentarily but quickly returns before he turns and walks away, I can't help but feel a little bad for the way I treated Neptune, but glad that he took the news well and seems to be moving on.

After a little more time the crowd surrounding Jaune and Pyrrha disperses, most likely because the novelty of Jaune being in a dress no longer amuses them. As the rest of the couples start to spread out across the rest of the floor I notice that some time during the time I was talking to Neptune, Blake showed up with Jade surprisingly enough. Since I'm still waiting on Ruby to return I figure it couldn't hurt to spend some time with the rest of my team in the meantime. I cross the short distance to them in no time, Yang notices me when I get close and beckons me over. "Hey ice princess, where's Rubes?" Yang questions as she dances with Jason. "She went out to get some air a little while ago, I don't quite know where she is right now actually." I answer with a tinge of concern in my voice. Yang just shrugs off my answer and continue dancing only offering a simple response. "Well i'm sure she'll be back soon, I wouldn't worry about it too much."

The song that's playing finishes and Yang step back from Jason, giving him a kiss before walking over to Blake. "How about a dance kitty cat?" She announces proudly, Blake smiles and offers her hand which Yang takes and start to lead her in a dance. Jade watches this and looks rather annoyed offering her complaints. "I want her back Yang, don't go running off with my date. You have no idea how much crap I had to go through to get her to be my date." Blake and Yang both share a laugh. "Sounds like a good story, I wouldn't mind hearing it some time." Yang says to Blake her confident grin in full effect. I roll my eyes at the overly confident nature of the blonde brawler, though I can't deny she is rather funny.

Jade starts to open her mouth to form a reply but Jason steps up and grabs her hands before she can. "Come on Jade let's dance, I know that look and I would hate to have this night ruined by having to take you to the hospital." The dynamic between the two of them is strange to me, they aren't related but yet they act more like siblings then they do close friends. If it weren't for the fact that Jade prefers girls, I would swear that they would be together. As time goes on and more songs start and come to an end I start to worry about Ruby, a check of my scroll reveals that it's been about half an hour since she went to go get some air. Something must have happened to her she wouldn't be gone this long if she didn't have to be, I start to get frantic and decide it's best if I go look for her.

I excuse myself from the rest of the group to start my search, I walk around the edge of the dance floor surveying the crowd but I don't see any sign of my girlfriend. Considering she went out to get some air I do my best to calm myself down and head for the door. When I get outside there is no one around that I can see, which only adds to my discomfort. I take out my scroll and call Ruby, the phone rings repeatedly before her voicemail picks it up. When I hear the beep I leave my message. "Ruby, where are you? You disappeared call me back when you get a chance." In an effort to make my message more light hearted I add. "If you ditched me to go get cookies I will not be happy with you." I hang up and put my scroll away.

 _ **Great no answer, where are you Ruby?**_

I notice a bench off to my right next to one of the pillars out front of the cafeteria and take a seat to wait for Ruby. About forty five minute go by before I catch a glimpse of Ruby making her way back towards the building but something is off about her as she approaches, I spring up from the bench and rush over to her bringing her in for a tight embrace. I pull back slightly to examine her, noticing that the bottom of her dress is slightly tattered and she has her Crescent Rose on her back. "Ruby Rose what happened, you've been gone for over an hour. I was worried sick about you, you didn't pick up your scroll or respond to my messages." My oral barrage is interrupted by Ruby silencing me with a kiss which I pull away from quickly and glare at her even but before I can say a word Ruby cuts me off.

"Weiss let me explain, When I went out to get air I noticed a person dressed all in black climbing along the rooftops so I decided to investigate. I followed the person, who turned out to be this weird girl wearing a mask to the CCST tower and one of the guards was unconscious so I called in my sweetheart here and ended up having a fight with her. I'm really sorry Princess it wasn't my idea to leave you alone for so long, I had to deal with general Ironwood interrogating me." Ruby smiles, though the smile quickly fades when she sees a worried look on my face. As much as I want to be angry, I'm just glad that she is ok. I bring the crimson huntress in for another hug and plant a kiss on the top of her head. "I was so worried Ruby, please don't scare me like that again." An idea pops into my head. "let's go dance, you've got a lot of lost time to make up for." Taking Ruby by the hand I make my way to the dance floor. Ruby and I share a few dances before I finally work up the courage to carry out my idea, we are standing in the middle of the dance floor and I decide to bring Ruby in for a kiss. Ruby is shocked for a moment but it quickly subsides and we share a long and passionate kiss, our dance turning into a romantic embrace. We stay pressed against each other for a long time just enjoying every aspect of each other, my heart is fluttering and I can feel my cheeks burning a bright red.

When we finally separate from each other we continue to stare into each other's eyes, I notice a few people glancing at us but could care less nothing could ruin my mood right now. My adrenaline pumping and my heart beating I do my best to form a proper sentence. "Do you maybe wanna get out of here, maybe go watch a movie in the dorm or something?" Ruby eagerly nods her head in agreement and together we leave the dance and make our way back to the dorm room. We make ourselves comfortable on my bed by laying next to each other and Ruby puts on a standup comic performance, we sit there together and I decide to take the initiative and give Ruby the same mark of affection that she gave me.

Starting at her lips I plant a series of small kisses in a line down to the nape of her neck, when I reach the spot I start to gently suck and nip causing a few low moans to escape Ruby. I continue sucking and nibbling until I am satisfied with the red mark that is left, with my mark left I retrace my original line of kisses back up to her lips. I plant a few more kisses before coming to a sudden realization, I get up from the bed and go under Blake's bed. "Weiss what are you doing, we were kinda in the middle of something." I continue my search while I respond. "I almost forgot I got you a gift and I wanted to give it to you now." I finally find what i'm looking for, the red rectangular container containing the special dust rounds I bought for Ruby on our first time out together.

I pick up the case and take it back over to my bed, handing it to Ruby. At first she looks rather confused but once she reads the label her eyes light up. "Weiss you didn't, you got me dust rounds for my sweetheart." I nod and am suddenly being crushed by a bear hug that could rival one from Yang. "Princess I can't believe it, this is so thoughtful. I love it thank you." Ruby clicks open the top of the case and grabs a few rounds to inspect them, the metal cases making small metallic noises as they tap against each other. "Don't mention it dolt, i'm glad you like them. Hopefully you can get some use of them in some of our training missions or something." I sit back down next to Ruby and watch the comedian, Ruby rests her head on my shoulder while playing with her gift. I plant one last kiss on the top of her head and we watch the rest of the show, when the show is finished I check my scroll to see that the time is just after midnight.

Ruby and I readjust ourselves so that we can lay down and still watch our show, cuddling up against each other before I finally start to feel tired and fall asleep.


	18. 18:The Start of Something Serious Part 1

POV: Jason Vidar

Chapter Eighteen: The Start of Something Serious Part 1

"Are you almost done in there Jaune, or do I have to come in and help?" Pyrrha questions through the bathroom door as we wait for Jaune to finish getting into his dress. "No, no i'm fine… It's just I'm afraid you guys are gonna laugh at me." Jaune's muffled response comes from the other side of the door. "We won't laugh at you Jaune, i'm your girlfriend and Jason's your friend we wouldn't want to embarrass you. Well any more than one of us already has." As she says this Pyrrha shoots me a glare that I just shrug off, he made the bet fair and square he knew what he was getting himself into so I have nothing to feel bad about.

There is an audible sigh from the other side of the door followed by the click of the door being unlocked before it is slowly opened to reveal Jaune, dressed in a simple white strapless dress with a grey bow around his waist. I can't help it seeing Jaune in a dress is too much to handle and I burst out laughing. Pyrrha tries her best to keep it together, but in the end she can't stop herself and she starts to laugh as well. Jaune grumbles under his breath, obviously unamused he mimics our laughter. "Yeah haha yak it up you idiots. Thanks so much for not laughing, Pyrrha." Sarcasm is heavy in his tone as he says this but there is also a hint of hurt as well, which Pyrrha and I both notice. We both stop laughing and Pyrrha hugs Jaune placing her head on his shoulder to comfort him, while I explain.

"No need to be upset about it Jaune, you're a dude wearing a dress. Let's be honest it's gonna have people laughing all night so you might as well get used to it now in honesty, and if it makes you feel any better i'll stay near by just in case anyone tries to take the joke too far." Jaune's expression lightens slightly causing a grin to cross my lips. My scroll goes off in my pocket, I pull it out to check the message and see Yang's picture sitting on my lock screen. I unlock my scroll and read the message. _I'm all dressed up and ready, so whenever you wanna reveal this plan of yours._

 _ **Oh shit, I almost forgot.**_

 _Soon enough firecracker all will be revealed, i'll see you in a few minutes._ I type out the reply and turn to head over to my bed, leaving Jaune and Pyrrha to themselves. When I get to my bed I move Gore out of the way to make room for my suitcase, and place it on the bed to make finding what I need easier. Inside I find the small bag I had placed there a few days before and rip it open to retrieve its contents. The custom emerald green and yellow tie that I ordered especially to match with Yang, as well as another gift fall to the bed. I take the tie and hide the gift deciding to surprise her with it after the dance. I place the gift in the jacket pocket of my tux before zipping up my suitcase before returning it to its usual place beside the bed.

I remove my suit jacket and carefully fold it and place it on the bed so that I can put my tie on easier, I pop up my collar and tie the tie making sure that it's straight and sits properly. When the tie is settled I fix the collar and put my jacket back on, I give Gore a scratch on the head and kneel down in front of him. His red eyes meeting mine as I speak to him. "Hey buddy, I don't know if i'm gonna be home tonight i've got plans with Yang, are you gonna be ok?" Gore's ears perk up slightly when I say I won't be home but he shows no other reaction. "I'll take that as a yes, if I remember i'll even see if I can get you a treat maybe some beef jerky huh?" Gore gives me a lick and lays back down on my pillow, making himself comfortable.

 _ **Well that's him taken care of I guess.**_

I stand and turn toward the door to go meet Yang, noticing on my way Jaune and Pyrrha are still having a makeout session in the bathroom doorframe. Not wanting to cause to much of a disturbance I just walk past and announce my exit. "I'll see you guys at the dance." And with that I step out the door, being sure to close it behind me. I turn back to the hallway just in time to see Yang leave her dorm, she looks so beautiful that it takes my breath away and I can feel my heart start to pound in my chest. "Wow, you look amazing firecracker." Is what I finally manage to say as I continue to stare at my amazingly stunning girlfriend.

A blush starts to cover Yang's face at the compliment. "Thank haha, I love the suit, the tie especially." A bright smile on her face, with my mind racing the way it is I almost forgot about the tie. I match her smile glancing down at the tie and straightening it again a slight bit of OCD kicking in. "Glad you like it, I was kinda worried it would go unnoticed. It is a small detail in honesty." Almost as if she could sense my nerves, Yang steps forward and wraps her arms tightly around my lower back while burying her head in my chest. I rest my head on top of hers, my face lost in her golden locks and I can feel myself start to relax. Normally I don't feel so nervous around Yang, but the fact that she wanted to skip the dance initially makes the circumstances a little different.

I've tried my best to make a plan to have the night be special but the thought of them backfiring on me is still clear in my mind, which doesn't help in the slightest. "I know the tie isn't much but i'm trying to make tonight stand out, i've got a few more things planned for later that are a little more special." Yang adjusts her head to be able to look at my face. "Jason you don't have to go to extremes to impress me, simple things like your tie are amazing and show me and everyone else how much you care. That's all I really want anyway, and i'm going to have a great time just going to the dance with you." She plants a kiss on my lips before pulling away and taking my hand in hers. "Now come on, I promised Weiss i'd be on time." Yang starts to walk with my hand still firmly held in hers, giving me little choice other than to follow her which I do happily.

As we walk together I space out and lose myself in thought, which is somewhat painful thanks to the concussion I got from Pyrrha's shield during our spar. I do my best to get past the pain and go over my plans for the night after the dance, thanks to my semblance I was able to make a mental map of a section of the emerald forest behind the school. Using the map I found a great place to have a camp, and over the course of the last week slowly managed to discreetly move enough supplies out to the spot to hopefully make the night perfect. Between camping under the stars and the gift, hopefully that goal can be met. I come back to reality and Yang and I are at the entrance to the cafeteria that has been decorated for the dance, being as Yang is one of the planners of the event she pushes the two of us straight to the front right past the decent sized crowd that is waiting outside.

Yang lets go of my hand and opens the door letting me enter and step off to the side but as she attempts to close it a hand catches the handle. "Hey can we come in now we've been waiting out here forever." The person is obviously aggravated and being very rude, but all the same Yang tries to handle the situation like a mature adult. "It should only be a few more minutes and then the doors will be open for everyone, please just try to be patient." With her explanation finished, Yang once again attempts to close the door but yet again the hand catches the door. From where i'm standing I can only see the door and Yang so I move to stand behind Yang so that I can look at who's causing the problem.

The person standing there is a tall slender guy with black hair, wearing a tuxedo and staring at Yang and myself with his beady little blue eyes. I put a hand on Yang's shoulder as a signal of sorts to let me handle it and confront the guy myself. "What's your name man?" I question, the man shift his weight and answers in a somewhat high pitched voice. "Chris, what of it." I nod and continue, with 'Chris' taking a step closer to me.. "Well Chris, as my friend here already told you, you're gonna have to wait a little longer. Now step back and let me close the damn door before you do something stupid and get hurt." A smirk crosses Chris's face and he reply's. "Yeah and what if I don't, you gonna make me." The sudden shove catches me off guard and I fall back into the door behind me, hitting my head on it in the process.

 _ **Oh i'll make you regret that…**_

I attempt to stand myself back up my head pounding once more. Yang comes over to lend a hand which I accept, when I am back on my feet I steady myself and charge. I land a quick jab to his throat and while he is stunned I grab Chris by the collar, lifting his feet off the ground before throwing him up against one of the building's support pillars. He impacts hard and slumps to the ground dazed, when he attempts to get up he loses his footing and slumps back down into a heap on the cold concrete. I let out a loud groan followed by more than a few muffled swears, my head is killing me now and the night is just starting.

I turn back and walk through the door, this time closing it behind me with no problems and meet back up with Yang. I try my best to hide the fact that my head hurts from her but my efforts are wasted as Yang sees right through them. "Are you ok? I know your aura is helping but taking more hits to the head when you're already concussed isn't good." As she says this she places her hand gently on the side of my head. "Firecracker i'm fine, don't worry about me." I protest but Yang ignores me, using small amounts of pressure to turn my head from one side to the other so that she can inspect for injury. I do my best to hide any signs of my pain as to not worry her, but when her hand reaches the large bruise from Pyrrha's shield I can't help but wince, destroying my act.

"See I knew you weren't fine, maybe we should just skip the dance. I don't want you to force yourself to-" I cut off Yang's sentence with a kiss that she initially protests but after a second she embraces it, the kiss itself is short but manages to keep Yang silent long enough for me to talk. I brush her long yellow locks out of her face with my right hand, while keeping my left wrapped around her. "Yang, I am fine and we are going to have a great time tonight at the dance and then you get to see my amazing surprise afterword. Then when all is said and done you'll be happy that you changed your mind about leaving." I make my best attempt at a reassuring smile, though Yang still seems reluctant. My smile fades as I continue. "But it's up to you firecracker, I won't mind either way. I just want you to have a good time, that's what this whole night is about."

"Did I ever tell you you're too sweet for your own good, because you are. You put on the whole tough guy act but you let your guard down around me, so I get to see that you're just a big softy underneath." Yang replies while she plays with my tie, I chuckle slightly and reply. "I think your friend Chris out there would disagree with you on that." Yang giggles at the joke and pulls away from me, starting to make her walk to the dance floor teasing me more as she gets farther away. "Whatever helps you sleep better at night, come on let's dance."

 **Ok guys so in order to get this chapter out on time I split it into two shorter parts, this is due to me getting more hours at work which is good for me but bad for my writing time. Then subsequently you guys, so I wanted to get this out without sacrificing quality as a result so a shorter chapter was the best option. Anyway I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading, and i'll see all you guys in the next chapter =D**


	19. 19:The Start of Something Serious Part 2

POV: Jason Vidar

Chapter Nineteen: The Start of Something Serious Part 2

Yang and I slow dance in our little corner of the floor, a rather large crowd gathering around us as we do. Though they don't care about Yang or I, they are focusing on Jaune and Pyrrha dancing together. Both in dresses. Most of my attention is on Yang, who is currently wrapped in my arms my favorite place for her to be. But on occasion the two of us are needed to keep some idiot in the crowd from doing something stupid. So far the night is going well, aside from the small confrontation that happened before the dance started nothing has really gone wrong. The pounding in my head even subsided, making dancing with my beautiful girlfriend more enjoyable than it already was. As Yang and I dance, I notice Jade leading Blake over towards our little corner gathering.

 _ **Glad to see those two seem to be getting along still.**_

When the two of them reach us Jade is smirking proudly with Blake's hand in her own, wordlessly showing off who she's here with. Unlike Jade, Blake is a much harder person to get a read on. Her face is all but free of emotion, though when the two of them begin their first dance a smile quickly covers her face. I give Jade a subtle thumbs up, causing the return of her ever confident smirk.

 _ **Well that makes me two for two on relationship advice.**_

I chuckle to myself which earns me a questioning look from Yang. "It's nothing, I was just looking at Jade and Blake and thinking about how i've helped two relationships besides ours since I got here. Jaune and Pyrrha, well i'm not really sure if I should count that one it was pretty obvious but for now it counts. Now Jade and Blake, I don't know why but those two just seem to work. I don't know about Blake, but for one reason or another Jade seems to have taken a real interest in her. She flirts a lot but I haven't seen her show feelings like this for anyone since… well a long time." Thinking back to how things ended with Lilith and Jade is something i'd rather not think of on a night that's supposed to be happy, so I elect to avoid the subject entirely.

"Yeah they seem to be having a good time together, I haven't seen Blake smile this much in a long time." I nod in acknowledgement and we go back to dancing without speaking, simply smiling and staring into each other's eyes. As the song draws to it's end I take a look around the crowd and see that it's thinned out quite a bit, the large group that used to surround us has turned to one or two lingering pairs. I turn my attention back to Yang and notice that she had also been scanning the crowd, she appears to have noticed someone in the crowd and waves to them. I follow her eyes and see Weiss making her way to us, when she reaches us Yang greets her. "Hey ice princess, where's Rubes?" She questions when Weiss is within earshot.

"She went out to get some air a little while ago, I don't quite know where she is right now actually." Weiss replies seeming a bit uneasy about telling Yang she has no clue where her sister is, but Yang seems unaffected and shrugs off the answer simply replying. "Well i'm sure she'll be back soon, I wouldn't worry about it too much." After about a minute or so we finish our dance and Yang unwraps her arms from behind my neck giving me a quick kiss before stepping away, and I, reluctantly let her slip from my grasp. Yang walks over to Blake and offers her hand. "How about a dance kitty cat?" Her ever confident tone radiating through as usual, Jade doesn't say anything but the look on her face shows that she is less than pleased about Yang stealing her date.

"I want her back Yang, don't go running off with my date. You have no idea how much crap I had to go through to get her to be my date." Jade complains as she watches Yang take Blake away, the two share a laugh between the two of them. "Sounds like a good story, I wouldn't mind hearing it some time." Yang states, her tone still radiating massive levels of confidence. I keep an eye on Jade's reactions and when she goes to open her mouth in retaliation I decide it best to step in. I grab her hands and start to, using slight force, lead Jade in a dance. "Come on Jade let's dance, I know that look and I would hate to have this night ruined by having to take you to the hospital."

Even with me stopping her initially, Jade still wants to contest, stepping to the side to try to get around me. I step in front of her playing the move off as part of our dance, after a few more failed attempts Jade gives up and dances with me. "What's up with wanting to dance all the sudden?" Jade questions as we dance together to the beat of the song, I shrug and reply. "Figured it was the easiest way to keep you from making an issue about Yang stealing Blake from you. Plus as much as I may get pissed at you, I still love yah you idiot." Jade smiles and jokingly says. "Sorry I'm here with someone, maybe next time talk to me sooner." I laugh mockingly and add. "You're funny, but i'm already taken and you're a lesbian so there you go." A little more edge comes through in my tone than I had intended and Jade picks up on it. "Jeez what wrong with you tonight, can't take a joke?" I let out a loud sigh.

"No sorry, i'm just stressing out about my plans for Yang and I later tonight. We've been dating a for a little while now and i'm already crazy for her, but i'm still just afraid of messing things up." Jade shakes her head and chuckles quietly. "You shouldn't really be worrying about it, it's clear that you are pretty happy with Yang. All you have to do is let things run their course, keep treating her right and you'll be fine." Jade's reassuring words help to put my mind more at ease, I was thinking the same thing but having another opinion to back it up helps reinforce the point. "Thanks Jade I appreciate it, so how goes things with Blake? I notice the two of you have been spending more time together since that incident in the emerald forest." At the mention of Blake, Jade blushes slightly but still answers the question. "Well we aren't anything official yet if that's what you're asking, we've just been enjoying one another's company and learning more about each other.

She's really not a very outgoing person when it comes to information so i've been trying to learn what little she'll talk about her past by swapping stories and such." I nod in acknowledgement. "What stories have you been talking about?" I ask out of curiosity, knowing Jade for as long as I have there are a lot to pick from so it's interesting to find out which ones she would pick to tell first to someone she's interested in. "Mostly just the ones of when you and I were little, our town back in Atlas, and I even talked about learning to use dust with my semblance but still couldn't get much out of her." Once again I nod in acknowledgement and reply a mocking edge to my tone. "Yeah those are all good stories, though I do wonder how much you may have changed to try to impress her." Jade gives me a hard hit to my chest. "You know you really are an ass at times, I don't have to lie to impress her."

I laugh and hold my chest, half from laughing and half from pain. "Who can't take a joke now Jade?" I manage to cough out in between trying to laugh and breath, Jade looks unamused with my laughing at her but I can't help it. Eventually after a few moments my laughing fit subsides and the current song fades out along with it. Yang and Blake have finished their dance as well, Blake comes over and taps me on the shoulder. "I'll take her off your hands now Jason, if you don't mind." I smile and take a shallow bow. "By all means, you two have fun." Blake smiles and even blushes slightly as Jade takes the lead, taking hold of the cat faunus and leading her in a slow dance to match the new song that has started to play.

-I step back and move over to Yang, I look around the area slightly and notice that Weiss is no longer present. When I reach her, Yang wraps her arms around the back of my neck and gives me a kiss on the cheek. My face starts to feel warm as a I place my hands on her hips, smiling as Yang is once again in my arms. "How was your dance with Blake?" I ask as we move back in forth in rhythm to the song. Yang smiles and replies. "It was fun, we mostly just talked about girl stuff." I smile and nod, happy to hear about their conversation. The two of us dance for a few more songs, sharing a few kisses and even taking turns whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears.

By the eighth song or so the night is winding down, the two of us finish our dance so I offer to get the two of us some punch. "Punch would be great, thank you." Yang responds while smiling, I turn and start to walk away as I do I can hear Yang call out to me from behind causing me to turn back around. "Thanks for tonight Jason, I'm really enjoying myself." I can't help but smile, not knowing quite what to say but wanting to say something I reply a mix of pride and excitement in my voice. "Glad to hear it firecracker that's what tonight was all about, i'll be right back." I turn a large smile plastered permanently on my face, I start to make my way through the crowd towards the punch bowl and notice Jaune doing the same. I follow him and when we are getting to a clearing I cup my hands around my mouth to make my voice carry better and call out to him. "Hey Jaune." At hearing his name Jaune turns and notices me, hastily moving over to me. Jaune looks nervous and a little shaky when he reaches me, which is making me a little uneasy.

"Jaune what's up you seem a little… freaked out." Jaune shakes his head affirmatively and pauses for a moment signalling for me to follow him off to a more secluded area before clarifying. "Yeah… yeah i'm fine, just a little nervous." He trails off leaving me to question further. "Ok, why exactly." I say still smiling, Jaune replies. "Well I was walking around and Ozpin came and found me, we have a mission tomorrow. It was kinda last minute from the sounds, they apparently lost contact with one of the nearby towns and it's been forty eight hours so they're sending us in."

 _ **Well I can see why he's nervous now.**_

My mind is flooded with questions my smile now gone, but I do my best to keep myself composed. "Why us, does the rest of the team know?" Jaune looks like he is starting to relax slightly as he answers my questions. "From what Ozpin told me we got picked for this mission because all the other teams already had assignments, so we got it by default. As for the rest of the team, yeah they all know. I told Pyrrha first obviously and then Ren and Nora, I would have told you sooner but Pyrrha and I thought it would probably be best not to interrupt the moment you and Yang were having. Were in the same dorm so it's not like i'm not going to see you, is there anything else you wanna know?" There is a pause for a few moments as I process the information Jaune just dropped on me.

"What time do we have to report tomorrow?" A nervous smile covers Jaune's face. "Six o'clock tomorrow morning on the airship pad, we'll be doing a quick drop from a bullhead a little ways outside the village and move in on foot from there. Full combat gear and weapons ready." I nod and reply. "Thanks for the heads up, i'll see you there. Oh and just so you know i've got plans with Yang tonight so don't be concerned if I don't end up in the room." Jaune smiles. "Have a good night Jason, just remember to show up tomorrow." He gives me a wink and a final smile before turning and disappearing back into the crowd. Now that i'm alone I continue my walk to the punch bowl, while I walk I go over the details again in my head.

By the time I have reached the punch bowl and am on my way back I have gone over the details of tomorrow's mission four times, being sure to take mental notes of anything and everything that could be important. I manage to make my way through the crowd and back to Yang without spilling the punch and hand her hers, which she happily takes from my hand and starts drinking. "Thanks Jason." She pauses for a moment, seemingly noticing that something has changed. "Is something wrong, you're not smiling like you were when you left." Seeing really no way to avoid the question I decide it's easier just to answer it. "Yeah i'm just a little on edge, when I was getting the punch Jaune talked to me. My team and I are scheduled for our first mission tomorrow morning."

Yang looks slightly surprised but not as concerned as I am, for obvious reasons. "I'm sure you'll all be fine, being nervous is entirely natural." My smile returns and plant a quick peck on her cheek, causing a noticeable blush. "Thanks Firecracker I know I just need to get my mind off of it for a bit, what do you say we get out of here so I can show you my surprise?" Yang's smile matches my own as she answers excitedly. "Yes! It's been bugging me not knowing what this surprise of yours is." I offer my hand to Yang, which she happily accepts. "Well the wait is finally over, I think you'll enjoy it." With Yang's hand intertwined with my own I lead the two of us out of the cafeteria, when we are outside I momentarily separate our hands to take of my tux jacket that I drape over my left shoulder before reconnecting our hands.

We walk across the campus in silence, Yang lagging slightly behind me following along happily. When we reach the emerald forest I pause to retrieve my weapon from where I hid it the first time I came out here, just in case there is a grimm problem. Using my mental map that I created using my semblance as a guide we start to make our way to the campsite. After about fifteen or so minutes of hiking we reach the small clearing in the trees that is the campsite. The area itself is simple but beautiful, a clearing in the trees with a decent sized pond in the center that is surrounded by reeds. Next to the pond is where the campsite itself is set up, a two person tent is pitched next to the pond with a fire pit dug out in front of it ready to be lit. Beside the fire pit there are two reclining lawn chairs with a stump that I cut from a fallen tree acting as a makeshift table in between them.

A backpack packed to bursting with food leans against the stump, just waiting to be eaten. I turn to Yang to watch her reaction, her hands are covering her mouth and her eyes are watering from what I hope is joy. "Tada, it isn't anything too special but I put a lot of effort into setting this up… So what do you think?" I'm suddenly surprised by a strong hug from Yang, accompanied by a barrage of kisses. The sudden surprise force of Yang's hug makes me lose my footing and I fall to the ground with Yang landing on top of me. "Does that mean you like it?" I questions my tone full of sarcasm, Yang is smiling brighter than ever and tears of joy are streaking down her cheeks. "Jason this is the most thoughtful thing you could ever have done for me and I love it, it doesn't matter if it's simple the thought that you put into this means the world to me." I use my thumbs to wipe away the tear streaks on Yang's face and we stare into each other's eyes.

I cup my hands on Yang's cheeks and go in for a long kiss, my right hand drifts to the back of her head and I run my tongue on her upper lip asking for entrance to deepen our kiss. Yang accepts and parts her lips allowing my tongue to enter her mouth and start to battle hers for dominance of the small space. At the same time I run my hand through her golden locks and wrapping my left arm around her lower back to bring her in as close as possible until our bodies are pressed together with no space left between. We stay like this for a few minutes before we are forced to separate from lack of air, our breathing is ragged and my face is burning. Yang is also sporting a bright red blush as she looks down at me, I could stare into her beautiful lilac eyes but the ground isn't very comfortable. "Before we get too carried away i'd like the show you everything else I brought." I say with a chuckle.

Yang giggles and climbs off of me, offering a hand up which I accept and with some assistance from Yang pull myself to my feet. I walk over to the firepit my right arm draped over Yang's shoulders, keeping her close. I give Yang another quick peck and gesture towards the chairs as a signal for Yang to sit down while I light the fire, which she does plopping herself down into the chair comfortably. I reach into the pocket of my dress pants and root around until I find what I'm looking for, a red dust cartridge for _Forest Caliber_. Taking the cartridge in my right hand I take a step back and throw the dust round, tip down onto the pile of dry logs and branches collected in the pit. The result is a small fiery explosion that catches the dry wood almost immediately, a loud crackling sound echoing through the trees as the fire spreads.

 _ **Well that worked well, i'll have to keep that in mind for the future.**_

Feeling quite proud that my idea worked I triumphantly turn my back to the fire to take a seat myself, I seat myself in the chair next to the one Yang is in and grab the backpack of food. I unzip the bag and start removing its contents placing them on the improvised table one by one, a bag of marshmallows a bag of graham crackers and a couple chocolate bars being the most important of the items from the bag. I scavenge two sticks from the ground and impale two marshmallows on the end of each and offer one to Yang. "Hope you like s'mores Firecracker, cause that's all I could manage to get out here." Yang happily takes the marshmallow stick and holds it over the fire, the sugary globs on the end taking flame quickly turning them black as charcoal. "I love s'mores, Ruby and I used to make them as kids with our dad and uncle Qrow. I always liked to burn the marshmallows before I ate them, something about the gooey center is awesome."

As Yang tells her story I open the chocolate and graham crackers, breaking the crackers in half and placing the chocolate on one half to make a place for the marshmallows. Yang squeezes the marshmallows in between the two halfs of the graham crackers and removes the stick, before starting to quickly devour the treat. I do the same and before long the graham crackers and chocolate are gone, so we switch to just roasting the marshmallows and eating them plain. As the final dull rays of light disappear the fire becomes the only source of illumination in the clearing, to keep the fire going I grab a large log from the pile next to me and throw it on. The flames quickly engulfs the new piece of wood, the heat radiating from the fire fighting the slight chill in the air.

Yang stand up from her chair and moves over to mine, curling herself up in my lap with her head on my shoulder. I wrap her tightly in my arms as she whispers softly into my ear. "Thank you for tonight Jason, you are one of the most thoughtful and caring people in my life… I love you." My mind goes blank and my heart starts racing at hearing the three simple words, I have to manage a reply. I do my best to clear my head and respond, choosing my words very carefully. "I love you too Firecracker, I know I'm not the best guy out there. But I know I love you Yang Xiao Long and that you mean the world to me, and that no one else in this world is as important to me as you are." Yang lifts her head from my shoulder and in the low light of the fire my eyes meet hers, the beautiful lilac color mesmerizing me as she leans in for another long kiss. As our lips meet I can taste the sweetness of the marshmallows and feel the rapid beating of her heart against my chest a feeling of total bliss. With my mind fully at ease, I lose myself in the moment with my beautiful girlfriend not caring what is going on outside this moment.

The passage of time becomes something of unimportance, nothing in the world could make me want to leave this place. When we finally are forced to break our kiss for air it is replaced with shorter ones and even some nips on both sides. I kiss my way down from her lips all the way to the nape of her neck before working my way back up, when I get just below her jawline I gingerly nibble and suck on her neck causing Yang to inhale sharply. When i'm sure that my mark will be left I pull back to admire my work, satisfied and proud of the hickey I have left I shift my gaze back up to meet Yang's eyes. There is a playful excitement in them as she looks at me down at me and not to long after, Yang mimics my movements starting at my lips and working her way down.

A sudden rustling in the bushes grabs my attention away from Yang, she hasn't noticed the sound so I do my best to keep it that way not wanting to ruin such a perfect night for her over my paranoia. I reach down with my left hand, grabbing my weapon and changing it to its ranged variant just in case. I split my attention about eighty twenty between Yang and the bushes, obviously focusing more on the stunning girl on top of me than the foliage. Glancing over occasionally to be sure nothing is lurking is sufficient enough to put my mind at ease. Unfortunately I spot a shadowed figure move in the bush and have to put an untimely end to our moment. "Firecracker, there's something moving around in the bushes over there. I gotta go check it out, make sure it's not grimm." Yang lets out a yelp that is muffled into my shoulder before rolling off of me. "Wait here, i'll be right back." I say as I stand from the chair, weapon in hand to make my way over to the figure.

When I get about twenty feet from the tree line the figures head snaps towards my direction, watching me. I raise my weapon ready to fire as the creature jumps from the bushes, I hesitate seeing the glowing red eyes. Something seems familiar about the shadowed figure, I can't quite figure it out. The low, near silent whine is the last piece needed to figure it out. "Gore what the hell are you doing out here?" I shout, the black and grey direwolf steps out into the light provided by the campfire taking a seat in front of me. I turn and head back to the campsite and more importantly Yang, Gore trailing silently behind me as usual. "Well I found out what was in the bushes." I say when I get back, gesturing to Gore as I speak. Yang looks at the two of us confused. "He followed you all the way out here, maybe you should check your scroll see if Jaune or somebody thinks he's missing."

Sure enough when I pull my scroll from my pocket and turn it back on I have a massage from Jaune. _Hey Jason when Pyrrha and I got back to the dorm Gore ran out, we haven't seen him since._ I roll my eyes and reply. _Yeah he managed to find me and Yang way out in the emerald forest, he's fine. Thanks for telling me i'll see you in a few hours._ I send the message and turn off my scroll, taking note of the fact that it's already after midnight. Setting an alarm for five fourty.

 _ **Well great Gore is here now and I've only got six hours until my mission.**_

I sigh and start to walk to the tent. "I should probably get some sleep it's gettin kinda late." Yang jumps up from her chair and walks over to my side hugging my arm. "I think i'll join you i'm pretty tired myself, the adrenaline rush has kinda worn off now." I smile and the two of us get ourselves comfortable and my eyelids start to feel heavy, with Yang wrapped in my arms I drift peacefully into sleep.

 **Hello once again all, this is the second and final part of the Jason x Yang dance arc. Thanks for being patient. I really love how this chapter ended up turning out and hope you feel the same, it is also now my new longest chapter so that's another cool thing =D Drop me a review if you want, feedback is always** **appreciated. Ok guys hope you enjoyed if you did give the story and myself a follow and as always guys, i'll see you in the next chapter.**


	20. Chapter 20: Emerald Shadows

POV: Jade Hunter

Chapter Twenty: For Next Week

"Okay Jade I think that is enough jogging for this morning." Blake states as she comes to a stop beside me "But we have only did two miles today, that is two less than yesterday." I reply after taking a swig of water. Blake takes a drink of water before replying. "Yes, but yesterday was four miles more than you should have jogged on account of your injury, which is less than a week old and not fully healed. I would hate for my prom date to not be able to dance cause she worked out too much this morning and didn't take care of her injury." My argument completely destroyed by Blake's explanation I give up and conceed. "Okay in that case I'm going to go get a shower and rest up before I have to get ready for you." I say with a wink, which causes Blake to look away after noticeably starting to blush.

We walk into the dorm room right as Ruby is leaving. "Hey Ruby where are you heading? Don't you have to get ready for the dance?" I question as Ruby steps off to the side to let us into the room. "Yea, Weiss and Yang just left to do last minute adjustments to the dance and I didn't want to be in the middle of getting ready when they come back to get ready, so i'm just going to head to the community restrooms and change there. I want my outfit to be a surprise for Weiss." Ruby answers. "That is a great idea!" I reply with a twinkle in my eye as I turn to look at Blake. "I think I'll join you Ruby, would hate for our dates to not get a shock from how good we look." Ruby Smiles. "Awesome and maybe you can help me with these stupid shoes."

I grab my dress bag that luckily is black so Blake can't see through it and move toward Ruby who is waiting on me. As I walk past Blake I say with a wink, "My dress makes me look so hot the cashier at the dress shop gave me her number." I giggle as Blake's face turns redder than Ruby's cape. "Wow Blake's face is really red." Ruby comments with a chuckle. I glance over my shoulder briefly as Ruby and I walk away to see, Blake has turned to face the window to hide her face and reply's. "Guess I just have to pull out all the stops to take your breath away." I turn my head back to the direction i'm walking replying "Can't wait!" As I close the door behind Ruby and myself.

Ruby says nothing on our walk to the restroom, but It's easy to tell she is full of nervous excitement and energy. As usual it would seem. As we walk I decide it's the best time to have a little fun with Ruby "So are you going give your cherry to Weiss tonight?" Ruby who was starting to open the door jumps out of embarrassment, practically yelling. "Wha- Of course no-" As she's stammering her hand happens to slip of the edge of the door causing the bathroom door to swing back and clock her in the forehead. I can't help but start laughing as I push the door open and look her over to make sure she is ok. Other than being redder than her cloak and a slight bump on the head courtesy of the door, she seems fine. Though she is still stunned by my question so I step past her and pull her into the bathroom. "I was just kidding Ruby, let's start getting ready."

"Not funny Jade!" Ruby mumbles mostly to herself but still loud enough for me to hear. After a little while Ruby starts relaxing and seem to finally get over the shock of my question, so I decide to ask another. This time a little less perverted. "Are you ready to practice walking in her shoes?" Ruby sighs loudly but answers. "Yeah, I don't know why it's so hard to move around in these stupid things." I giggle quietly to myself. "So I heard, Ashley at the dress shop told me you were falling down a lot." She turns to me with a questioning look on her face. "Wait you went to the same dress shop? And Ashley gave you her number?" I nod. "Yeah I got directions on how to get there from Nora, she was very helpful. Ashley did give me her number telling me that if I didn't catch the girl I was interested in to give her a call, although I lucked out and Blake agreed to go with me after my incident with the nevermore. Enough about that though, hop in your shoes and I'll see what I can do to help you before we get ready."

After a good amount of practice time and a few falls, Ruby shouts triumphantly. "Finally! I made it across the bathroom without falling." "Good Job!" I say "Now we need to get ready we have only two hours left until the doors open." We both quickly change into our dresses and start do our makeup and hair." After about an hour I'm done with everything while Ruby is still finishing up. "Ruby do you think Blake will like this?" I question suddenly feeling insecure as I stare at myself in the mirror. Ruby turns to look at me says "Of course! You look amazingly beautiful, while no matter what I do I just think I look cute when I want to be stunning." I smile at her. "Thanks Ruby that means a lot, I really like Blake and want to really make an impression with her, ya know? As for you I have an idea, let me make just a few changes with your makeup and you can be stunning to."

"Really? Please do!" Ruby quickly exclaims. I remove some of her eye shadow and do some blending to give it a smokey look, use some lip liner to help her lips pop a little more and adjust her bangs a little. "There every guy and girl at the dance will want you now." I say while turning Ruby's head so she can look at herself. "Wow!" Ruby says before going silent and staring at herself in the mirror for a minute before asking. "Where did you learn to do that?"

 **That's a hard question….Come on, I can hold it together.**

"An old friend of mine taught me…." I trail off which Ruby immediately picks up on, she sounds concerned and asks. "You okay Jade?" I throw a big smile back on my face and say "Yeah! Of course I am! Have you seen my date, damn." I whistle and the both of us share a laugh. "But on a more serious note, look at us. Weiss and Blake won't be able to think straight after seeing us looking as good as we do." Ruby says, obviously trying to cheer me up which helps immensely.

 **Thanks Ruby, but this is one thing I know I'm not ready to talk about...**

My scroll starts to buzz and I have a moment of panic thinking that we are late to the dance, but as I pick up my scroll I relax noticing that we still have half an hour and the message is just a simple text from Blake.

 _Hey I'm done getting ready, thought about taking a walk around campus before heading to the dance. You know enjoy the night air, would you like to start our date a little early? -Blake_

I smile bright as I type out my reply. _Yes I would love too, will meet you at the entrance to the dorm building in about a minute._

"Sorry Ruby it looks like my date is starting a little early" I explain to as I put my scroll away. "That's fine I want to practice more so I don't embarrass Weiss." Ruby answers. "Well i'll see you at the dance then." I turn and walk out the door to meet up with Blake a few floors down.

I open the door of that leads outside after the short walk and I see Blake standing there looking directly at me. She wasn't kidding, she looks amazing I gasp trying to catch my breath. While she at the same time is so stunned she doesn't even turn her head to hide her blush. Finally I catch my breath. "Wow!... You look sexy." My comment snaps Blake out of her daze and she turns her head. "let's take our walk." Gesturing to the sidewalk that makes a big loop around campus.

After a couple of minutes of walking the silence starts to bother me and my curiosity about Blake takes over. I ask quietly "So last time we had a moment like this you asked about my family, would you be okay telling me about yours?" Blake's expression stays blank as she replies. "That's fine, I don't really have a family except my team." "Oh I didn't know." I comment feeling rather bad for bringing the topic up now. "I know, that's why you asked and it's fine." Blake gives me a reassuring smile and silence once again takes over..

 **I want to know more… I hope I didn't upset her with the last question...I know I'll tell her a funny story about Jason.**

"Wanna hear a funny story?" I question once again trying to lighten the mood. "Sure." Blake replies simply. "Great, One time when Jason and I were seven I wanted to show Jason how my dad taught me to climb trees. So after I showed him, Jason said it didn't look hard at all and said he could do it faster. So he got a running start and right when he was about to jump, his mom yells for us. Jason got totally distracted from what he was doing and turned his head to the direction of his house, but forgot to stop running and ran straight into the tree. It was so great because he just kinda laid there confused, it was funny!" Blake smiles but doesn't laugh like I was hoping. I finish the story hoping the punch line makes her laugh. "His mom came over and was trying so hard not to laugh while she was making sure he was ok. As she was looking him over she asked. "How do you run into a tree?" And I replied "I know you'd think he * _wood*_ have seen it?"

Blake laughter fills the night as we round the back of the gym. "Please don't tell Yang I laughed at your pun, she would get jealous and become unbearable trying to do the same. I always admonish her for making her jokes to try and keep her serious but, if she found out I really enjoyed them I wouldn't be able to keep her serious."

 **Woah! Not only did I get her to laugh but she also opened up to me a little, one step at a time I suppose.**

"Not a problem, I'll keep your secret." Giving her a wink I reach my hand out to her as we round the last corner of the gym before reaching the door. "Are you ready to go into the dance?" Blake delicately places her hand into mine, "I would love too!"

"Ok students this will be the last song for the night so enjoy it, and please be smart with the rest of your night." Professor Goodwitch's voice comes over the speaker, before the apparent last song of the night starts to play. I star to lead Blake in our last dance, looking her over as we move in rhythm to the beat of the song slowly making our way around the dance floor. As we dance together I can't help but have my usual smirk planted on my face still overjoyed at being with Blake.

As our final dance starts to come to an end, I quickly start to think up ideas on how to properly spend the rest of our night. I come to a decision of just spending the time simply in each others company, and maybe making another attempt at learning more about Blake's past. When the song finishes I lean in close and whisper into Blake's ear. "Wanna go for another walk?" I question, which earns me a small smile from the cat faunus. "Sure that sounds great." I smile myself and once again take her hand as we start to make our way towards the door, everyone else is doing the same. The large crowd inside the building starting to make their way to the door to head home now that the dance is over.

We move through the crowd and eventually making our way through the doors, and out into the cool night beyond. Following one of the many walking paths that run throughout the school and start to lead Blake in a random direction so that we can be alone while we talk. "So… do you wanna share some more stories? I think I might even have a few more embarrassing one about Jason." I chuckle quietly but I notice Blake's expression shift for a moment, but i'm not quite able to place what it is exactly. "Sure, the last one was funny." I nod and think for a moment on what story that I should tell her, Jason and I's childhoods were filled with stupid antics and even stupider decisions. Meaning that I have plenty of stories to choose from.

"Well one time when we were in, I think it was middle school Jason, his little brother timmy and I went on a hunting trip together with my dad and sister Lucy. We were all pretty bored and didn't have much to do considering we hadn't seen any game all day, so Jason and timmy came up with a plan together. The two of them led me off into some random field they had found and then decided to hide and leave me by myself, I had no clue where I was so I started to retrace my steps back the way I thought I had come."

"So what did they do?" Blake questions. "Well I was pretty… unnerved to say the least by this point, so they took advantage of that. Timmy snuck up behind me and got on all fours, then Jason popped out of the grass and scared the crap out of me. Needless to say I jumped back tripped over Timmy and then landed hard on the ground, the two of them were pretty proud of themselves until Lucy showed up. She heard me yell when Jason scared me and came running, when she showed up Jason and timmy got one hell of an earful and when my dad caught up to her they got and even worse ass whooping." I laugh loudly while Blake giggles quietly, we walk for a few moments in silence before Blake speaks again. "So...what happened to Timmy? I've never heard Jason talk about him, or even mention him for that matter."

I stop walking and turn to look Blake in the face, for once a serious look on my face. "Well that's the main reason Jason even came here… Timmy was killed by a beowolf when he and Jason were out on a late hike in the hills that surround our home town. After that Jason changed, he stopped talking to almost everyone, not even me or his parents, unless absolutely necessary. He never even seemed to leave his room, I think he blamed himself for it and just kinda shut down. In honesty that story is the first time I have even talked about him since it happened. That's why I was so surprised when I first got here, Jason was actually starting to act like his old self again. He was talking to people, he wasn't as temperamental, and he seems to have made some friends. As well as meet his girlfriend, so it seems coming here did him a lot of good."

Blake doesn't say anything when I have finished but I can tell by the look on her face that the conversation is starting to take on a dark tone, so I decide to change the subject to avoid ruining our night together. "Hey follow me, I wanna show you this great place I found a day or two after I got here." Grabbing Blake by the hand I led her to the garden on campus. "We need to take our shoes off gotta go off road for this one." I say with a smile completely forgetting I'm still holding Blake's hand. "Okay no problem." Blake replies, "It's much easier with both hands but that's ok." Before I realized what she was saying she already slipped her shoes off and was holding them in her hand. "Oh sorry!" I say as I let go of her hand and take my shoes off "It's just a short walk past the garden."

 **Was she complaining about me holding her hand...did she like it… it didn't sound like she minded…**

After a few minutes of walking we arrived at the edge of the garden. "It's just a little bit further." I say as I turn to look at Blake who just nods and smiles. A moment later I see the large rock and point at it. "There it is!" We reach the rock that is roughly seven feet tall I climb my way to the top of it and pull myself up. Luckily as athletic as I am I'm able to do so without ruining my dress. Bending down I reach my hand out and grab ahold of Blake's who reached for my hand and pull her up.

As we stand and look in front of us we can see that we are on the cliffs that surround the school and can see the entire city of Vale lit up and stretched out in front of us at the bottom of the cliffs. I point and say "That's only part of the amazing view." I watch Blake look up following my finger and see the amazing night sky stretched out before us. The moon directly above surrounded by thousands of stars. "And if we turn around" I say placing my hands on Blake's shoulders turning her around. "We can see all of Beacon's garden."

"Jade this spot is amazing." My confident smile returns once more "Yeah so far it's my second favorite place in Beacon." Blake looks rather confused. "Only second, what's the first?" Shyly I answer. "Anywhere you are." My comment catches Blake off guard and causes her look away giggling with a blush on her face. "That was really cheesey, but I love it." "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked with a smirk. "It's great." I drop my head, Blake's answer makes me smile brighter than ever.

 **I am going to just say it**

"Blake I really enjoyed our date, even if you only agreed after Jason backed you into a corner after the nevermore incident, but still this was the best dance a girl could ask for, so thank you." I look down, Blake puts her thumb and pointer finger under my chin forcing me to look up into her beautiful amber eyes. "Jade, Jason had nothing to do with my saying yes. You always seem to make me laugh and pull me out of my books that I use as an escape. It's because of those reasons that I said yes. If I'm honest I wanted to ask you, but wasn't sure how."

My eyes become wet fueled by a happiness I haven't felt in awhile. I slowly lean forward and press my lips to hers creating a scene typically only seen in fairytales or read about in books a beautiful couple, starry night sky, and beautiful surroundings. Our kiss ends and Blake's releases my chin "I love the irony." I comment. "What Irony?" Blake asks confused again. "Well you said I pull you out of your books and then we create this moment that you'd normally only find in one of your books." Blake chuckles. "That is some beautiful irony, I guess that makes you the Hero of my story leaving me to be Heroin." I think for a second, "If that's true and we are but characters on pages in a book does that mean we are "bound" together and our fate is "scripted"." My lame puns still manage to cause Blake to laugh. "Ya know it's really nice to be able to laugh and not have to focus so hard on not getting distracted from other things."

I point over Blake's shoulder at the horizon "The sky is just starting to light up how about we sit and watch the sunrise." Blake turns to be able to look at the horizon as we sit side by side, she even lays her head on my shoulder.

 **I have to ask… this is the perfect time**

"Blake... will you be my girlfriend?" Without missing a beat Blake replies. "Yes."


	21. Chapter 21: The Mission

POV: Jaune Arc

Chapter Twenty One: The Mission

The early morning sun is just starting to rise and cast the first orange rays of sunlight over the school, Pyrrha and I sit by the left hand door of the bullhead with our legs hanging over the side while we wait for the rest of our team to arrive. I hold Pyrrha's hand in my own, tracing the outline of a heart in her palm. Pyrrha giggles and I smile as the two of us enjoy the last few moments of peace we have left to ourselves. Ren is the first to show up, accompanied by Nora as always who is happily following behind him. When the two of them get within earshot I can start to makeout Nora's ramblings, which I can only assume has already spiraled off topic. I jump down from the bullhead, landing on the ground with a muffled thud. "Ren, Nora, you guys ready to go?"

"Are we ever!" Nora replies in her usual exceedingly hyper tone, hefting her heavy hammer into the air as she shouts her reply. In contrast to Nora's loud and excited response Ren simply offers a nod of head as his response, I smile being sure to keep any worry or concern from my expression. "Ok then load up, we'll be leaving in about ten minutes. Maybe earlier if Jason gets here before then." Ren and Nora nod in acknowledgment and climb into the ship, Ren giving Nora a leg up before climbing up himself. I stay on the ground waiting for Jason to arrive. Thankfully the wait isn't a long one as a few minutes later I can see Jason jogging down the walkway towards us, already suited up in his armour with his weapon slung over his shoulder.

"Hey Jaune, I'm not late am I?" He questions when he gets close. "No you're right on time, were ready to leave now." I look him up and down examining his armour condition and appearance, curious to see how he looks after spending the night somewhere in the emerald forest. Surprisingly enough he looks pretty presentable all things considered, not that it really matters anyway considering the circumstances. As I continue to look him over I notice a few good sized red marks in the shape of a heart near the base of his neck, presumably from Yang last night during their camping trip. Considering Jason doesn't seem to know the mark is there I decide to have a little bit of fun with him.

"Looks like you had fun last night, what did you two do last night?" Jason looks confused at my question. "Yeah we had a lot of fun, and I just took Yang camping out in the forest. Set up a nice little campsite, a fire pit, made smores, all in all just had fun." He smiles as he thinks back to his night, but his confused expression quickly returns. "What did you mean 'looks' like I had a good night, do I have something on me." He looks down his arms and legs thinking he has something on his armour, which only causes me to laugh only worsening his confusion. I gesture to the base of his neck, pointing out the love marks Yang had left on him. Upon noticing the marks Jason's face goes a dark red color from embarrassment, he nervously clears his throat.

"Well that's rather embarrassing, yeah it was a fun night… Can I talk to you about something personal?" I smile and nod. "Yeah man what's up?" A nervous smile crosses Jason's lips as he starts to explain. "Well I set up the whole campsite and planned out this big night to impress Yang, and thankfully it went off without a hitch. Everything went amazing and well we started to go a little farther, I guess that when Yang gave me this." He chuckles to himself and continues. "Well we were sitting there I've got her wrapped in my arms and all and well, she said she 'I love you'." I nod and question. "Yeah and? Did you say it back." My question seems to annoy Jason slightly. "Of course I said it back, i'm crazy for her. I don't know I just wanted to talk about it, anyway let's get going." He smiles and climbs up into the bullhead, I suspect that he is holding back the details that he really wants to talk about and decide to talk to him again later when we have more time. With Jason on board I climb up as well.

When we are all inside and strapped in I give the signal to the pilot and the engines roar to life, the side doors of the ship sealing themselves, effectively closing us inside. The doors sealing causes the passenger bay to go completely dark. The darkness eventually being brightened slightly with illumination being provided by a dull red light on the roof. I can feel the inertia of the craft lifting itself off the ground and accelerate forward as we start to gain altitude. My stomach starts to settle as the ship levels out and I start my mental clock to keep track of how much time we have until we land.

 _ **Should be about fifteen minutes until we arrive, I guess this is a good time to brief them.**_

I unbuckle myself and stand up, using the hand grips on the roof to keep myself upright. "Ok guys, we've got about fifteen minutes until we get to the drop point. When we get there we will be moving through thick forest for about fifteen miles, it will be slow moving expect grimm encounters along the way. Jason the maps we have to work off of are old so we may need you to make a new one using your semblance." Jason nods in acknowledgement and I continue. "Now for communication…" I reach into my pocket and produce a small black box containing our earpieces. "These earpieces will sink up with our scrolls and let us communicate, as for our scrolls they will be set to combat comms mode with no exceptions. We don't want any distractions."

I hand everyone a earpiece before taking my own and pairing it to my scroll, I put it in my ear and set my scroll to combat mode and joining our teams private comm channel. I go around making sure that everyone else does the same without having an issue, after about five minutes everyone has their headsets sinked and have joined the combat comms channel. I do a quick comms check and everyone gives the thumbs up, things are starting to fall into place. I start to relax slightly but be sure to stay alert and focused, since i'm in charge I have to look after not only myself but the rest of my team as well. The rest of our trip goes in silence, everyone mentally and physically preparing themselves. I glance around looking at everyone and taking note of who is doing what, Ren has _StormFlower_ in his hands and appears to be looking them over.

Nora is hugging her hammer _Magnhild_ tightly, Jason and Pyrrha are both loading their weapons and getting ready for the drop. The red light on the roof blinks three times signaling we are nearing our drop point. "One minute guys, one minute." I say over the comm channel, everyone gives a thumbs up. I can feel myself starting to tense up with anticipation and I stare down at the floor, a hand is placed on my shoulder which causes me to look up. Pyrrha is looking at me with a reassuring smile on her face trying to put me at ease, I gain a smile of my own and we share a brief kiss. "Gross, get a room you two." Jason's voice crackles through my earpiece, his voice thick with sarcasm. Jason's comment earns a laugh, which is unfortunately interrupted when the door opens and a large rush of air catches everyone off guard. I look out of the door and see that we are about thirty feet over top of a large clearing, that is surrounded on all sides by thick vegetation and trees. Near the center of the clearing stands the ruins of what looks like an old stone tower.

 _ **That could be a good place to get setup.**_

The red light in the troop carrier compartment turns green as our signal to go. "Go, everybody out. Set up a perimeter and get ready to move." I shout over the comm before bailing out the door, I freefall for fifteen feet or so before I tuck and roll when I hit the ground to shift my momentum in a way that prevents me from slamming into the ground. I land upright drawing my sword and placing my shield in front of me as a wall. I scan the area in front of me being sure that it's clear before looking to my left and right to check on the rest of the team. Everyone else has also landed and formed a circle shaped area around the bullhead, seeing that the area is clear I give the signal to the pilot and the ship lifts higher into the air disappearing into the clouds.

I stand, keeping my shield leveled just in case and start to make my way towards the tower signaling the rest of the team to follow. We walk as a group up up the slight incline to the tower, though to call it a tower is rather inaccurate due to the state it's in. The top two sections have toppled over leaving only one standing, and even that one has taken a beating. The back wall has collapsed in and the door was ripped from its hinges long ago. "Looks like nobody's been here for a while." I here Jason comment from off to my left, I turn to face him. "Jason how long does it take for you to generate your semblance maps?" I question as I stand in the doorway of the tower. "I haven't really timed it but about ten minutes or so, I need to concentrate thought so I'll need to be left alone entirely. Otherwise it'll mess me up and I'll have to start over." I nod and reply. "Ok well I don't want to have to try and trust these old maps we've got so, get to it we'll give you all the time you need."

Jason nods and excuses himself, I watch as he walks down the hill away from the tower. When he's out of hearing distance he kneels down on the ground, I turn to face Ren and Nora. "Nora can you and Ren _quietly_ keep an eye out around Jason while he uses his semblance, please be careful to not disturb him. We need those maps." Ren nods and Nora salutes and together the two of them exit, leaving only Pyrrha and myself alone at the tower. "Is there something you want me to do Jaune?" Pyrrha questions, I turn and step inside the tower itself with Pyrrha close behind. "I don't like this Pyrrha, something isn't right here. According to the information Ozpin gave me this area doesn't normally have a high concentration of grimm, then suddenly they start reporting increasing grimm populations and now... all the sudden they've gone dark. Something is definitely wrong here." A frown covers Pyrrha's face.

"Yes, something definitely seems strange about this. Though I'm not sure that we have much of a choice." I find two old crates in the corner and throw one over to Pyrrha to use them as makeshift chairs, I seat myself on the crate and Pyrrha does the same. "We don't have any choice and that's the problem. I think we may be walking into a trap and if we are, I'm worried someone might get hurt. You especially." I drop my gaze to the stone floor beneath me to avoid meeting her eyes, I can hear Pyrrha stand and she makes her way over to me. "Jaune look at me." Reluctantly I look up into her eyes. "The only thing you can do is what you always do, your best"

 _ **Well that's a conforming thought considering my record this far.**_

"Thanks Pyrrha, I can't say I'm not still uneasy but it helps to know you have faith in me." Pyrrha smiles which brings a smile to my face as well. "Always Jaune, now come here." Pyrrha says as she grabs me by my chest piece and pulls me in for a long kiss, we stay locked together for a few moments before we are interrupted by a shout from outside. "Jaune, Pyrrha, get out here Jason's done with the map." I roll my eyes but can't help but smile as the two of us head outside together, where we are greeted by Ren, Nora, and Jason. "The maps done?" I question Jason. "Yeah it's done, it's all up here." He replies and points to his forehead. "Ok good, do you see a good way to go?" Jason closes his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "I got a good path in mind it'll take us right to the town."

"Let's get going then, Jason you'll take the lead. The rest of us will follow, keep your eyes open for grimm. We never know what could be out here waiting for us." Jason takes point and starts to lead the rest of us on our way down the hill to the forest the lines the clearing, as we clear the initial bushes and trees that block our path we come through to a dried creek bed that cuts a path through the trees. "From what I can see this creek bed is the best way to get to the village, it's the only relatively clear path that I can see." Jason comments as we follow the creek bed, I pull out the maps that ozpin supplied me to cross check our path. "It's a good thing we had you make a map Jason, the ones I have still show this as an active river." Jason simply nods before replying. "Well we keep this pace we should be there by late afternoon."

Jason's estimate of arriving at mid afternoon appears to be on target as we reach the outskirts of the village walls, the sun starting to set over the horizon. Our fifteen mile trip to the village being slowed by the terrane and several attacks from large packs of grimm, beowolves mostly being the problem along our way. Though even with our progress being slowed we finally made it to the village in one piece. "How's everyone doing, are we ok on ammo and everything before we go in? There more than likely will be more grimm here." Everyone does a quick check, Jason and Ren look unhappy. "I have four extra magazines, not as many as I'd like." Ren comments. "Yeah i'm pretty low myself, I only got about twenty rounds left. All those damn grimm we ran into along the way." Jason adds, I think for a moment before responding.

"Do you think that's enough to get this done?" The two of them nod. "Ok let's get this done then, follow me to the gate. Remember we don't know what were walking into, so take it slow and we'll be fine." With everyone in agreement, we follow the walls of the village to the entrance gate. As we walk along the walls I examine them, for a town that is assumed to be overrun the walls seem intact. We reach the open main gate and enter through it, as we make our way down the main street everything seems eerily quiet. No sounds or movement come from anywhere, we move up the main street towards a small building labeled as the town hall. "Is it just me, or does something seem really wrong here?" Nora questions while we walk. "Yes something seems off here." Pyrrha replies. We continue through the grid like layout of houses until we reach the other side of town, clearing the buildings and side streets along our way.

As we come up on the T shaped junction in front of the town hall building I hear a growl from off to the right of me, on instinct I immediately turn to see what made the sound. Down the street about twenty feet from us is a large pack of beowolves, standing in front of a massive hole in the towns protective walls. The beowolves have already noticed us and started to charge. "Contact right, get ready." I hear Jason yell from behind me, I take up a defensive position with the rest of the team as we prepare to combat the charging grimm. When they are within range Ren, Pyrrha, and Jason open fire. Between a fire charge from Jason, a quick barrage from Ren and a few well placed shots from Pyrrha, a good amount of the grimm drop. Leaving them to be dealt with in close quarters.

Out of the original number thirty or so beowolves, only about fifteen or so make it past the initial ranged fire. With my sword raised and my shield leveled I charge, hacking and slashing at the closest grimm in my vicinity. Three more beowolves drop to my attacks before I get tackled by a fourth. Thankfully my shield protects me from its razor sharp claws, but the creature is still on top of me. With my arms pinned I do my best to struggle against the weight of the creature, with little success. I stare into the eyes of the beowolf as it snaps at my face, suddenly the weight is removed from my chest and the wolf is nowhere to be seen. I climb to my feet and see Nora standing beside me, her hammer raised proudly over her head. "Thanks Nora, I owe you one."

"You should have seen how far that one flew, that was awesome." Nora says with a whistle, I look around and see that the original batch of beowolves have been killed. Leaving dead grimm scattered in the street. "Is everyone ok?" I say over the comm channel in an attempt to save my voice, considering the rest of the team is quite spread out. Everyone replies with an affirmative response leading me to turn back to the source of the original group of grimm. Massive hordes of beowolves, accompanied by Ursas, Boarbatusks, and a few Deathstalkers. Thankfully it seems that the vast majority of them haven't noticed us yet so I decide to change our tactics. "Everybody get to the town hall building, we can't fight them in the open like this." Everyone acknowledges and I sheath my sword before turning away from the large mass of grimm, running to the building.

When I reach it the front steps of the small stone building i'm relieved to see that my entire team is already there and from the looks at least, ok. "We have to get off of this street, there's too many grimm here for us to be able to take them on." I say when I reach the rest of the team. "Maybe we should just get out of here, I mean i'm not seeing anyone here to save. It looks like the grimm wiped the whole damn town out." Jason says while watching the street behind us. "As much as I hate to think about it, Jason may be right. It doesn't appear that anyone is left here." Pyrrha adds, I weigh the options trying to decide if it's better to pull out now, or stay and put my team at risk to save a few civilians that may or may not still be here.

My thought process is cut short by a sudden loud thumping that seems to be getting louder by the second until the ground begins to shake from the heavy impacts growing closer. "What is that?" Nora questions as she steps out into the street to be able to see. I follow her and can't quite believe what is in front of me, the large grimm pack that was pouring through the hole in the wall has grown ten times in size. On top of that the large group is now accompanied by an even larger threat, a goliath. I look on with awe as the massive creature moves forward past the wall, smashing buildings as well as other grimm that stand in its path. "Holy shit well I think that settles it, we need to get out of here...now." Jason says, his voice cracking slightly out of what I presume to be fear.

"There's no way, the bullhead can't pick us up with that thing around." Ren's voice seems to echo in my ears as I continue to stare at the massive grimm. "Then what the hell are we supposed to do exactly?" Jason yells, but before I can answer Pyrrha interjects. "We do what we have to do, trust our leader." As she says this Pyrrha turns to me, her eyes meeting mine in an act of positive reinforcement. With everyone's eyes now fixated on me, I try my best to clear my head and consider the options eventually finding my answer. "We have to fight it." My answer gains me looks of surprise as well as those of confusion. "We don't have many options with that thing less than two blocks away, we either fight it or we run and risk getting caught in the open. I don't know, I noticed something about that goliath when I first saw it. The mask on its face is… broken, maybe that means its weakened. Maybe thats whats causing all these grimm problems in the first place, it's just a thought but I think we can beat it."

I look at each of my teammates individually, each of their expressions different. Some of anger, more of uncertainty and even one of what i'm hoping is confidence from Pyrrha. "So is everyone ready?" A silence hangs in the air after my question before anyone answers, Pyrrha being the first to speak. "I'm always with you Jaune." Jason nods. "Me too buddy, but if I die i'm haunting you. Just want you to know that." I chuckle and smile. "Sounds fair enough Ren, Nora?" Nora looks rather indignant for a moment and replies. "You should NOT even have to ask that question." Ren adds. "Yes you should know were always with you Jaune, no matter what." I nod and smile. "Here we go then, Jason you and Nora stay back and pelt it from a distance try to aim for its face. Ren, Pyrrha, and myself will go and attack it at close range hopefully we can take out a leg and bring it down."

I pause, taking in a shaky breath and drawing my sword once more. "On three, One, Two, Three. GO!" Pyrrha, Ren, and I charge out from the cover of the building heading straight towards the goliath. As we close the distance I can see Nora and Jason's shots arcing overhead before impacting with the Goliath's head, causing only a small reaction from the creature. I wind my sword arm back and swing with all my strength, the blade of my sword connecting with its leg. I'm shocked to see my strike bounce off the thick armour, harmless. I swing again and again, only one in every three of my attacks having any effect. I roll out of the way just in time as the beast's massive trunk smashes the ground where I was just standing.

 _ **Well I got its attention…**_

I look over to Pyrrha and Ren and see them mimicking my tactic of wailing away at the beasts others front leg. Ren unloads two full magazines into the leg, causing a wale of pain that echoes so loudly my ears are ringing. More shots arc overhead and impact on the goliath's head, the beast wales once more but stay on its feet.

 _ **This isn't working we need to hit it harder.**_

Thinking quickly I try to come up with a way to take the beast out for good, in between attacking and avoiding the goliath I come up with my plan. I step away to a safe distance and key my comm to communicate with Jason. "Jason, do you have any electric dust rounds left?" The comm is silent for a minute before I hear a response. "Yeah I got two here… why?" Relieved I explain my plan. "I need you to shoot Nora with it, trust me on this." Again the comm goes silent before Jason replies again, this time much louder. "Are you insane, i'm not shooting one of my teammates." Annoyed, I shout back. "Just listen to me, Nora uses electricity for her semblance. She may just be able to take this thing down, so just do it!." There is no reply over the comm but I hear a shot go off behind me and I can hear Nora start laughing excitedly.

A few moments later a bombardment of missiles in the shape of a heart impacts on the goliath, followed immediately by Nora flying in and slamming her hammer into the goliath's head. The creature staggers and starts to tip as Nora lands in front of the three of us, I can hear Jason's voice come in over the team comm. "Well that was awesome, good job Nora." Nora takes a bow before replying. "Thaaaaaank you." Her tone playful and full of energy as usual, almost as if she is totally unaffected by everything that's happened. The goliath goes down with an earth shaking thud, destroying a few more buildings on its impact. I sheath my sword and flex my right shoulder, just now noticing how sore I am after our long day.

"Everybody meet up over here, i'm calling in the bullhead now. Should be here in a few minutes, get ready to get out of here." I switch my comm frequency from our private team channel to the channel I was given to communicate with our pilot. After a short conversation our pickup is on its way to our location, and all that's left to do is wait. The five of us stand around the corpse of the goliath while we wait examining it and thinking over our victory. Ren and I are standing over by the head of the creature, while everyone else is scattered around the area. Suddenly I hear a random sound off to our left, down an alleyway. Ren hears it too and the two of us once again draw our weapons. "I better go check that out." I say as I start to walk toward the alley with my sword at the ready.

There is another strange sound, one that I can't quite place. I dive out of the way as a boarbatusk charges out from the alley at me full speed, I get out of the way just in time landing hard on the pavement. My sword clatters away from me across the pavement, I turn shield raised ready to defend but the grimm has another target. I can only watch as the boarbatusk charges Ren, with no time to react there is little he can do but brace for the impact. Time seems to slow as the boarbatusk grows closer and closer to impact with Ren, but just before it can Nora jumps in front of Ren effectively taking the hit for him. The momentum of the grimm's charge coupled with Nora's causes her to fly backward into the wall, impacting hard before sliding to the floor.

"Nora!" Ren and I both shout, I jump up from the ground and grab my sword running over to my injured teammate. When Ren and I reach her the two of us try to help her the best we can, I lay her down on her back and examine her for injuries while Ren talks to her. "Nora are you ok, why did you take that hit for me?" I look up to Nora's face, there is a look on her face that I haven't seen before. Nora looks weak but manages a reply. "Boop." Is all she says before fading into unconsciousness. "We got a lot more grimm incoming." I hear Jason's voice over the comm channel before he and Pyrrha run around the goliaths body. "Is Nora ok?" Pyrrha asks when she sees her on the ground.

"I don't know right now, we gotta get her out of here. Buy us as much time as you can." Jason and Pyrrha both nod and turn to face the oncoming grimm attack. Thankfully the bullhead is already overhead, the landing craft does a one-eighty before quickly touching down next to us. The doors to the passenger compartment open as it touches down. "Ren, help me get Nora up." I say loud enough to be heard over the engines, Ren nods and together we lift Nora up into the bullhead before I shout for Jason and Pyrrha. "Jason, Pyrrha, get in were getting out of here!" Pyrrha rips her spear out of a beowulf's head and turns to run towards the bullhead, Jason fires one last fire round on the ground in front of him before doing the same. With everyone loaded up and ready to leave, the doors close and I can feel the ship starting to gain altitude.

After our flight back to Beacon Pyrrha, Jason, and myself report to professor Ozpin. While Nora is rushed to the infirmary with Ren accompanying her. "With Nora onboard the rest of us loaded up and got out of there." After completing the full explanation of the events that took place on our mission professor Ozpin simply nods. "Curious." Being his only response, confused I questions him further. "Professor, what do we do now. That village is still overrun with grimm and we never did find any survivors." Ozpin's expression doesn't change he just simply gestures towards the door with his hand.

"I suggest that you go check on your teammate, Mrs. Valkyrie should have her whole team with her while she recovers. As for your mission, there isn't much else we can do. As unfortunate as it may be, you did complete your mission. We now know the fate of the town and its people, now if you'll excuse me I have a lot of work to get done. The three of us exit Ozpin's office and walk in silence over to the infirmary, when we arrive the nurse directs us to the room Nora is in and updates us on her condition. "She'll be fine in a few days she's just going to be weak right now obviously, her aura helped a fair amount but the impact of that boarbatusk cracked three of her ribs as well as a broken leg. I presume that happened when she landed." I nod and read her nametag to be able to properly thank her. "Thanks Pearl, we appreciate it."

Pearl nods and smiles at Jason who returns the smile and waves before we turn and head down the hall toward Nora's room, out of curiosity I questions Jason on how he knows the nurse to try and get everyone mind off of everything. "Jason how do you know the nurse?" Jason chuckles before he replies. "Funny story, she's the nurse that was on duty the night Yang snuck me out of here. She actually signed me out a little early so Yang and I could spend the night together." We reach the room just as Jason finishes his explanation, I poke my head in first to make sure we won't wake anyone up by entering. I can hear what sounds like Ren and Nora in the middle of a conversation. "-So what does boop mean anyway Nora?" I can distinguish Ren's voice from the other side of the room, the room is silent except for the sound of someone shifting on the bed before I can hear Nora reply. Sounding very nervous. "Well… It means I love you, silly."

 _ **Well thats interesting…**_

I stand and turn away from the door, starting to head down the hall back towards the entrance of the infirmary. "Aren't we going inside?" Pyrrha questions as I walk past. "No I don't think we should, the two of them are having a… moment. Probably best to leave them alone." I offer my hand out to Pyrrha, which she takes and the two of us walk hand in hand down the hall. "Hey you guys know i'm here too right?" I hear Jason complain from behind us. "Yeah but you're not Pyrrha." I offer in return, there are some rapid footsteps and suddenly Jason is at my other side. Taking my hand in his own. "Fixed it." He says as he walks with us, I shake off his hand and reply. "No Jason, just no. You're not nearly as pretty as Pyrrha, no competition." Pyrrha giggles and Jason fakes being hurt by my comment, placing his hand over his heart. "So rude man, so rude."


	22. Chapter 22: The Start of Vacation

**Ok so before you guys read this chapter I'd like to apologies for my hiatus, between me posting the last chapter and now I have had my graduation started working swing shift at my job so I've been fucked up on sleep and haven't had much time to do anything other than work and adult responsibilities. Gross. So apologies for that and i'm going to try my very best to keep a consistent schedule for you guys. Now, with that out of the way. I owe all of you a tremendous thank you! We have passed ten thousand by a landslide and are only a little over a hundred from 11k, I can't thank you all enough for turning this little idea of mine into something that I can consider a huge success. I mean that sincerely and I want to just keep improving this story for you guys, because in the end that's why i'm doing this. So as usual if you guys have any comments, thoughts, ideas, questions, anything at all that you think would improve this story for you please message them to me. That's about it =D I hope you all enjoy, remember to favorite and follow myself and the story if you do and i'll see you all in the next chapter.**

POV: Weiss Schnee

Chapter Twenty Two: The Start of vacation

Ruby and I sit together in Beacons library late in the afternoon, studying for Dr. Oobleck's next big test on the history of Vale. The two of us studying together has become a common occurrence since we started dating, individually I can succeed in academics but working with Ruby makes the act more bearable. Since the two of us have been studying for three hours straight I decide it's time we take a break. "Ruby let's take a break, we deserve one." Ruby nods and closes her book after marking her page. "So…do you have any plans for break next week?" I question in a whispered tone. "Yeah, I'm going home to see my dad and uncle in patch. What about you?" I sigh. "No I think I'll just stay here for the break, I don't really want to deal with my family." Ruby frowns. "That doesn't sound very fun, why don't you come with me to patch? It'll be fun, I think Yang is staying here with Jason anyway so it would be nice to have the company."

I'm rather surprised by Rubies offer seeing as I wouldn't want anyone I care about in the vicinity of my family, my father in particular. "Are you sure your family won't mind Ruby?" Without missing a beat Ruby replies. "Of course not, we have plenty of room and my dad never has a problem with Yang and I bringing friends home… Well as long as they aren't boys, so we're fine." Ruby's comment about boys brings another question to mind. "Does your family know… about us being together?" My face starts to feel warm as I ask the question, the thought of spending a week in Ruby's home with the two of us spending a lot of time alone together makes my mind wander to places i'd rather it not be.

Ruby shifts in her chair avoiding my gaze practically giving me my answer. "I'll take that as a no. Well that complicates things a bit." Ruby jumps in her chair, quickly turning to face me. "But that doesn't change anything, you're still welcome to come." The over the top reaction that is common for Ruby causes me to roll my eyes. "Calm down dolt, I'll still go with you. As long as your family is ok with it of course." A look of excitement is suddenly plastered on Ruby's face causing me to smile along with her. I stand up from the table, grabbing my books. "It's getting late and I don't think we can get any more prepared for this test than we already are, so we may as well call it a night."

Ruby also stands and grabs her books to be able to follow me, the two of us walk next to each other as we leave the library. I shift my books to one hand so that I can take Ruby's hand, in the large scale it's a small gesture but it makes Ruby happy. Which in turn makes me happy. As the two of us make our way back to the dorm, our hands no intertwined, Ruby strikes up a conversation. "Did you hear that Nora is almost back to full health after what happened on their mission?" After her injury it's surprising she is almost back to full health after only three weeks, especially after taking a serious hit with no aura. "Yes, I also heard Jason and Jaune talking about how much more time her and Ren have been spending together. Which is nothing new but, Jaune seems to think they have finally become an official couple."

Ruby starts to laugh, leaving me confused as to why. "What, did I say something funny?" I ask feeling suddenly self conscious. "No it's just, I mean Ren and Nora. Like how did it take them this long to figure it out?" Feeling relieved that she isn't laughing at me I allow myself to join her in a chuckle. "Well just look at how long it took Jaune, what matters is that they finally got it figured out." Ruby smile and the two of us continue our walk to the dorm. After a little a bit we reach the entrance to the dorm building, Ruby releasing her hand from my own and dashing up the stairs leaving me to trail behind. I do my best to keep up with her but Ruby just activates her semblance and leaves me in the dust. When I do finally make it to the top Ruby is standing there waiting, a confident smirk that could rival Yang's on her face. I speak up before she can say anything. "No fair you used your semblance." Ruby says nothing but her smirk remains as she intertwines our hands once more. The two of reach the door in no time, I unlock it and the two of us step inside.

Yang and Jason sit together on Yang's bed and I can hear music playing, which is quickly paused when our entrance is noticed. "Hey Rubes, Ice Queen. What are you two up to?" Yang addresses us, while Jason simply nods and waves as his greeting. "Hey Yang! We were just going to watch a movie." Ruby says happily from my left, Yang eyes the two of us before she replies. "Yeah ok, just keep it PG I'll be watching." She gives Ruby a wink and her and Jason go back to what they were doing before we interrupted them.

 _ **I should say the same to you…**_

I roll my eyes at the busty blondes constant double standard when it comes to our respective relationships. With her and Jason being able to do whatever they please, while if I just want to spend the day alone on the room with Ruby we have Yang checking in constantly. I turn and head over to my bed, where Ruby has already started to set up a movie for the two of us to watch. When she's finished she plops down on the bed and I lay down beside her. I position myself and Ruby latches onto my arm, laying her head on my right shoulder while a strange old action movie plays off of her scroll. Before long I can feel Ruby's head start to go limp on my shoulder, the red leader falling asleep next to me. I wriggle around slightly to loosen the grip she has on my arm before leaning in and planting a kiss on her forehead. Even with her being a dolt, she's still my dolt.

"Does it still look the same as it did when you left?" I question Ruby as the two of stand behind the massive floor to ceiling window that decorates the front of the airship. In an attempt to reach Ruby's home town of patch before it got too late in the day, we got on the earliest flight possible. Which left at about eight o'clock. "Yeah, not much seems to ever change around here. And that's just the way I like it, simple." The airship lurches as we finally touch down on Patches small paved airfield, which in comparison to the Schnee airfield in Atlas it's very basic. As Ruby and I disembark with the rest of the passengers I become curious and examine my surroundings.

The landing strip itself is not longer than a regulation sports field, providing room for only three ships to be able to land at a time.

A tall aircraft control tower sits in the middle of the field, and lastly a small customs building has been constructed at the far end for commercial shipments. Ruby seems to know where she is going as she leads the two of us from the airship and across the field to a dirt road where there is a car waiting with a man standing beside it. "Dad!" Ruby exclaims as she runs to the man beside the car, seemingly surprised by Ruby's exclamation turns just in time to be tackled to the ground by the dolt of a leader. When he finally gets Ruby off of him and stands up he seems surprised once more. "Glad you made it home safe kiddo… Mind telling me who this is? I don't remember you mentioning that you were bringing someone home with you." Ruby looks embarrassed at the question and blushes.

"Well ugh, I may have forgotten to mention it actually… This is Weiss, my partner and teammate from Beacon. You know the one I told you about, before now." A growing look of annoyance starts to take over his expression as he makes an effort to relieve the tension between them. "Nice to meet you Weiss, Taiyang Xiao Long but you can just call me Tia. I have to admit i'm not really prepared to take both of you home, I brought the two seater because Yang told me she wasn't coming home." He pauses turning away from me to Ruby. "Why is that exactly, she didn't say over the phone… You know what you can tell me later for now we need to figure out what to do about the seating predicament." Silence hangs in the air for a moment before Ruby comes up with an answer.

"Weiss could always sit on my lap, I mean it's not ideal but it would work well enough this time." Tia exhales loudly before turning back to me. "It's your call Weiss, if you're ok with that, I'm ok with that. Though I wish I would have known you were coming, so we didn't have this problem." He gives one final look of disapproval to Ruby before gesturing to the car, as Ruby and I loud our luggage into the trunk and make our way over to the passenger side I offer my opinion on the situation. "I should really be apologizing to you Mr. Xiao Long, I assume if you didn't know I was coming you didn't know Ruby said I could stay in your home. Which you really should have been informed of well before now." My tone comes off a little sharper than I meant it too and Ruby looks rather upset at my remarks about her carelessness. Seeing how I've affected her gives me a ping of guilt, and in an attempt to lift her spirits I take her hand for a brief moment and give it a squeeze along with a reassuring smile. Which does seem to help improve her mood. Ruby pops open the car door and climbs in. Then when she has situated herself, she gestures for me to climb in as well.

 _ **Well this should be an interesting ride…**_

I climb onto Ruby's lap and buckle the two of us in, I can hear the engine come to life before we take off down the dirt road. Other than the limited head and legroom, sharing the seat with Ruby isn't as bad as I had originally thought it would be. That is until Ruby places her hand on my right thigh, out of her father's sight but very noticeable for me. My face starts to feel warm part out of embarrassment and part from something more… inappropriate. As inconspicuously as possible I throw my elbow backwards, which has its desired affect of getting my point across. Ruby moves her hand to a more appropriate place and our drive continues. I stare through the windshield as we go along, seeing very little more than the road in front of us and some trees on either side. After a while the dirt road meets a paved one at a _t_ shaped intersection with a single blinking red light to control any traffic there may be. Tia hesitates at the light for a moment and then turns right onto the new road, the silence that had hung once hung in the car is suddenly broken by Mr xio long. "So Ruby, why exactly did Yang not come home too? I didn't do anything to upset her did I?" I can't see ruby's face but I can hear how nervous she is as she tries to dodge the question. "No dad she isn't upset with you, I know that much. But she didn't tell you why?" The new question countering the first. "Nope all she said when I talked to her was not to expect her home over break because she was staying at the school, and when I asked why she avoided answering. Kinda like what you're doing right now, so I'll ask again Ruby. What is your sister up to?"

Ruby sighs and answers reluctantly. "Well you can't tell her that I told you otherwise she'll get really mad at me but… she wanted to spend the break with her boyfriend, Jason." Almost immediately Mr Xiao long's expression changes from one of worry to one of anger. "SHE DID WHAT?! WHO'S JASON? How long has she been dating him?" Rubies voice breaks when she tried to answer so I answer for her. "I believe they have been dating for about a month at this point. Jason was a new transfer student to our school from Atlas, from the way Yang tells it they met coincidentally in the halls and they had a sparring match, one thing led to another from there and here they are." Mr Xiao long's expression lightens slightly but there is still a sharp tone to it. "So she's been dating him for a month, why hasn't she told me anything about him?" Thankfully Ruby has found her voice again and answers the question. "I think she wanted to avoid you meeting him because she was afraid that you would embarrass her."

The look of anger seems to fade and is replaced by one of hurt. "Well I wouldn't purposely embarrass her, I mean I just want to meet the guy for god sakes." Mr. Xiao Long sighs before adding. "Well i'll call her tomorrow and see if I promise to not embarrass her she'll bring this _Jason_ guy home for a day or two just so I can meet him." With the conflict resolved for the time being silence takes over the small area inside the car. After another five minutes or so of driving we reach what I presume to be Ruby's home. I look over the building in front of me as we unload from the car, the building is a fairly simple designed log cabin. Apart from a few windows and a chimney for a fireplace inside, there isn't much decorating the outside if the house. Ruby and I retrieve our luggage from the trunk, then I follow Ruby into the house. The first room we enter into is a split living room and kitchen area. To the left Is the kitchen which is separated from the living room by a bar, from where I'm standing I can see a oven, sink, refrigerator, and various other appliances covering the counter tops. Off to the right is the living room, which has the fireplace in the middle of the right wall. There is a TV mounted part way up the wall, with a sofa and a love seat as well as a recliner strategically placed to be able to see the television.

Straight ahead and slightly to the left is a pantry with its door proper partially open by a broom. Then lastly just past the living room is a hallway that I'd guess leads to the rest of the house. I follow Ruby through the room to the hall way. "The rooms are this way Weiss, we have a guest room but I figure you can sleep in my room." My face feels warm again at the thought of sharing a bed alone with Ruby, not because it isn't a pleasant thought but because here there is no Yang, Blake, or Jade just the two of us. With no distractions and nothing but alone time we may be able to take our relationship to the next level, and I'm more than a little nervous. I answer simply. "Ok, sounds good." Being all I am able to manage in response, though my answer does seem to make Ruby happy as she turns and gives me a big enthusiastic smiles of hers before stopping right in the middle of the hall way. Before I am able to ask what she's doing Ruby has already taken my hands into hers and leaned in for a kiss, I meet her halfway and the two of us share a deep and intimate kiss. I lose myself in the moment and before I know it I can feel myself falling up again the wall behind me, Ruby following quickly pressing herself against me.

Our long kiss breaks into a series of short pecks to allow the two of us to take a full breath of air, my entire body feels warm and my head is spinning. I've never felt this way before, something I'd different this time. What I'm feeling is entirely new and exciting to me and it's all I can do to keep control of myself. As I look at Ruby she has a blissful look on her face and her cheeks are flush, resembling the same deep shade of red that is her cape. I pull back, both of our are breathing ragged and I can feel drops of sweat forming on my forehead from the heat that the two of our bodies are producing. We stand there taking a moment to stare into each other's eyes and enjoy the peace and serenity, I wrap my arms around Ruby's waist. Having her in my embrace is an amazing feeling, until the sudden sound of someone clearing their throat off to my left ruins the moment.

"Well it looks like Yang wasn't the only one that didn't tell me about a significant other." Ruby jumps at the sound of her father's voice and she trips over our suitcases and crashes to the ground. I can feel my heart sink, and my emotions start to run wild. Being caught in such a compromising position on the first day of being here this isn't going to go over well. I try to form a response but only stammered gibberish comes out, Ruby quickly recovers from her fall and does her best to try and explain. "Dad please don't be mad at Weiss, she thought it was better to tell you but I didn't really know how to so I avoided it. It isn't-" Tia stops Ruby mid sentence. "Ruby just to stop you there, I don't care that you're dating a girl. I don't care that she is a Schnee, I can even get over the fact that you didn't tell me. The one thing that I have a problem with is… well what I just walked in on. While you two are here let's keep that to a minimum, and that's the end of it. Now let's get you two unpacked and settled in, ok?" The two of us nod and follow Tia down the hall, when we reach the door at the end of the hall he pauses for a moment. "So I guess that's why you wanted her to sit on your lap, isn't it Ruby."


	23. Chapter 23: An Unexpected Trip

POV: Jason Vidar

Chapter Twenty Three: An Unexpected Trip

Yang and I lay together in our tent, resting after a long day of class, studying, and finally some fun in the form of swimming at our camping spot in the emerald forest. During the two weeks following the dance, our little camp spot has become a nice place to go whenever the two of us want to get away for a little while. I check my scroll and see that it's getting late in the afternoon and decide it's probably best to start heading back before it gets too late. I give Yang a kiss in the top of her head to get her attention, and she lifts her head from my chest. "I think it's about time we head back for the day, wanna watch a movie or something tonight." It takes a moment for her to process what I said in her exhausted state, but after a few moments I get my reply. "Sure that sounds good, just don't blame me if I fall asleep in the middle of it."

I laugh and pull myself to my feet, offering a hand to Yang to help her do the same. I close up the campsite throwing everything inside the tent before zipping the flap closed. When everything is picked up I turn back around to see Yang patiently waiting for me. I take her hand and together the two of us walk along our self made path that leads back to the campus. As we walk I can hear Gore rustling through the foliage slightly behind us, he's made a habit of following us. More than likely out of jealousy, because I don't bring him along. I pause for a moment when I hear my scroll go off, considering Yang is with me and Jaune is spending time with Pyrrha I have no clue who the message could be from. I pull my scroll out of my pocket and see the contact name _mom_ across the lock screen.

 _ **Oh great this again…**_

I open the message and read it. _Would you please come home for break, Jason. We all miss you and would love to see you._ This is the seventh message this week, she's sent one ever day this week practically begging me to come back to Atlas. Yang must have noticed my annoyance because I can feel her hand come up underneath my chin to bring my eyes up to meet hers. "Is everything ok Jason? You look like you want to hit something, or someone." There's no point in dodging the question so I answer honestly. "Yeah i'm fine, my mom's just pissing me off. She won't leave me alone because she wants me to come back home over break, even though I told her I don't think I can handle it… not yet atleast." Yang looks confused for a moment before the answer clicks for her. "Is this about what happened to your brother?" I can feel the gilt at the thought of going back, at the thought of looking at my parents again after what happened. I drop my gaze back down away from her eyes, answering with a nod of my head. "So what are you going to do?"

"In honesty I don't know, I don't want to go back there but at the same time I feel like i'm being happened didn't just affect me, my parents had a hard time too if not worse. I guess I owe them this much, so I suppose i'm going home…" Yang looks at me and nods before bringing me in for a hug. "Would it make it any better for you if I came along? I know this is going to be a difficult time for you and I want to be supportive whenever possible, plus I get to meet your family. So win, win." I return the hug pulling her in close and holding her tight, thankful once again to have someone as amazing as her in my life.

"If you want to you're welcome to come, but it will probably be a few days so I would understand if you don't want to go." There is a pause of less than a second before Yang answers. "Of course, I was planning to spend vacation with you so this works out." I clear my throat to keep my voice from breaking before I reply. "Thanks firecracker… This means a lot to me, more than you know." I pull back slightly to be able to look down at her face, and am greeted with one of her adorable toothy grins. I can't help but to crack a smile and laugh. "God I love you." Yang giggles and blushes at my comment. Even though it's not the first time we have said it, saying I love you still feels strange but in a good way. With everything sorted, the two of us continue our walk back to the dorm. After our short walk we arrive at the door to the dorm building, which I hold open for Yang before entering myself. We make our ways up the stairs and arrive at the doors to our respective rooms.

"I'm gonna go feed Gore and then i'll be right over and we can hang out." Yang nods and turns to her door but pauses for a moment before entering. "Hurry back, i'll leave the door propped open for you. I think i'm going to take a shower, so feel free to let yourself in." And with that she steps inside and the door closes behind her. With my mind suddenly blank I spend the next few moments just blankly staring at the door where she used to be. I'm brought back to reality by Gore nudging my leg obviously annoyed that i've been distracted and still haven't fed him yet. Thanks to his prodding I turn and open the door for the two of us to enter and go about our usual routine for his meals. I start by covering his eyes with a t-shirt so he doesn't know where I keep his food, and considering the fact that he's already found it once I can't be too careful.

With Gore's eyes successfully covered, I tell him to stay and move over to the other side of the small room. Doing one last check to make sure that Gore's eyes are still covered I bend down and reach under Nora's bed and retrieve a can of dog food and quickly make my way back to Gore and remove the shirt from over his head. "Ok where's your dish?" My comment is met with Gore quickly dashing under the bed and returning a few moments later with his dish hanging from his mouth, he then drops it at my feet. I pick up the dish and fill it with the contents of the can and place it in front of him, not long after the bowl has been licked clean. I pick up the bowl once more and toss it under my bed. "Ok, you feeling better now buddy. Huh?" I give him a scratch behind the ears and he bows his head. "Good, will you be ok in here if I got hang out with Yang for a while?" Gore lets out a low grumble but nods his head before turning and jumping up on my bed for a nap.

 _ **Well thats you sorted I guess…**_

"I'll see you in a bit buddy." I say as I step out the door into the hall, turning to face team RWBY's door across the hall I notice that the door is propped open. Following what Yang said I let myself in and close the door behind me. I quickly scan the room seeing that there is no one in besides myself, I can hear the shower running in the bathroom and assume that Yang hasn't finished yet. I untie my boots and kick them off into the corner so that I won't get Yang's bed dirty and take a seat on the Blake's bed below Yang's. While I wait for her to finish I pull my scroll from my pocket and send my mother a message. _I'm coming home mom, but my girlfriend is coming with me no arguments. I'll be getting on an trip later tomorrow afternoon, I'll see you then. I'm sorry for being so difficult about this...It's just I still feel terrible still, about everything._ She must have been waiting for my reply because before I can even get my scroll back in my pocket it vibrates. _Wonderful, I'll get your room all ready for you. I'm guessing this is the girlfriend Jade was talking about, we are all excited to meet_ her. _See you tomorrow!_

 _ **Well they're happy now at least, but how is this going to play out for me…**_

I put my scroll back in my pocket and can hear the the bathroom doors lock click and look up to see Yang standing in the bathroom doorway, wearing my blazer and a pair of short shorts. "Damn." Is all I can manage to say, earning a giggle from Yang. "Is this a good look for me? I don't mean to brag but I think I make this jacket look better than you ever did." I'm silent for a moment as my failing brain tries to think of a response. While i'm trying to think of what to say Yang starts walking my way. "Yeah I'd say that's a very, very accurate statement." By now Yang has reached me and gently but forcefully pushes me down on the bed before climbing on top of me and whispering in my ear. "I thought so." I wrap my arms around her, feeling her starting to nibble on my ear and slowly working her way down till our lips meet. The first kiss is short but followed by a line of ten more, each tastes sweeter than the one that came before it.

We share one last kiss before I stand up, still holding Yang in my arms but either my arms underneath her so that when I stand I lift her with me. "I don't think Blake would appreciate us using her bed." Yang laughs. "You're probably right." I give her one last kiss on the forehead and throw her gently up onto her bed, quickly climbing up after her. Continuing where we left off I wrap her in my arms once again, pulling her onto my lap and leaning against the wall behind for support. To take things up a little bit I unwrap my left arm from behind Yang, caressing her gently from her hips up her sides till my hand rests on her right breast. I watch carefully for any sign that the act is unwanted, but none are given. Instead I am met with a playful smile and lust filled eyes, encouraging me to push further. I move my left hand up from her lower back to the back of her head, running my hand through her golden locks.

While with my right hand I reach for the zipper of my jacket, after a few seconds of fumbling I find it. I look up to Yang and give her a questioning look, with her reply being a slow nod of the head I tug the zipper down a few inches so that her breasts are fully exposed. Though not far enough that the jacket comes off, she quivers causing me to pause and move my hand out of fear that i've pushed too far. The look on my face must have shown my uneasiness because Yang takes my hand in hers and places it on her chest, giving me another peck and a reassuring smile. I take a moment to admire her perfect body, I can't help but stare because of how beautiful she is. She is warm to my touch and her breasts are soft and smooth as I run my hands over them. Taking her left breast in my hand I squeeze gently while running my thumb in a circle over her nipple, causing Yang to inhale sharply before letting out a low moan under her breath.

I lean in kiss her neck, starting at nape and working my way up to just below her ear and then back down. I continue to fondle her breasts at the same time and start to notice her breathing becoming quite ragged and the occasional moan escapes her lips from time to time. Panic sets in as I hear the door open, I quickly remove my hand from Yang's chest and grab my scroll to pause the music. While Yang climbs off my lap and zips up my jacket to cover herself, before turning to see who came in. "Hey Rubes, Ice Queen. What are you two up to?"

"Hey firecracker are you done packing yet? We don't want to miss our ship." I stand in the doorway of the team RWBY dorm looking at Yang as she rushes around the room grabbing the last few things she'll need for the trip. She throws the last items into her suitcase and zips it up before coming over to me. "Yeah that should be everything I need, I've just gotta send a quick message to Ruby and I'll be all set." I nod and wait patiently for yang to send her message, when she's finished the two of us grab our bags and head out the door. We make our way out of the dorm building and out into the courtyard, as we walk through the courtyard I notice Jade sitting with Blake on a bench that sits next to the walkway. "Yo Jade, make out with Blake later we gotta get going. Our airship leaves in fifteen minutes." Blake and jade exchange a strange look between the two of them before jade replies. "You know what i'll meet you there I don't think that i'm gonna be leaving today after all."

I go to question her as to why but decide that I don't have the time to waste. "Your choice but if your family asks why, i'm not taking the heat for you." Jade smiles. "Fair enough, on a serious note though Jason. I know this trip is gonna hurt you, but in the end I think it'll be good for you to deal with all this." I smile and drop my duffle bag, grabbing Jade for a strong bear hug. "It's gonna suck but it could be worse, it could be just you and me going. I figure at least this way i've got Yang." I lean back and give her a smile, but before I let go I speak quietly so that only she can hear me. "I won't ask what you and Blake are up to, but just be smart about whatever it is ok?" I release her shooting her one last smile before Yang and I say our final goodbyes to Jade and blake, before continuing on our way to the airship dock. We reach the platform just in time, boarding with just enough time to find a place to sit before we take off.

 _ **Just like that i'm on my way home…**_

"It's beautiful." Yang comments as we stand on top of the hill at the edge of town, overlooking the town as well as the forests that surround it. Even though it's early spring there is still quite a chill in the air. Yang is fine thanks to her aura and the fact that she still has my jacket, but I on the other hand am forced to brave the cold unprotected. "That it is, I know my way around most of this forest. Maybe I could even take you hunting with me if you like, I did plan on going while I was here anyway. There really isn't much to do." Yang smiles. "I'm game if you're willing to teach me." I match her smile and take her hand. "Lucky for you, I'm a great teacher. Come on, I think we should get going, my mom is gonna start to worry and I really don't want to get an earful on my first day back. The 'grand tour' will have to wait until tomorrow." The two of us head down the hill with our bags as the sunlight starts to fade, I give a whistle to be sure Gore is following us wherever he is and continue on our way.

At the base of the hill we arrive at the entrance to the town, the one main dirt road stretching on for a few blocks before ending abruptly. Smaller roads lead off to both sides of the main road, while hanging overhead of the entrance is a sign that has the town's name, _Camino_ carved into it in fancy font. I start to lead Yang through my small town, our pace being hurried along by the time of day. Near the end of the main road we take a right down one of the smaller side roads, following it to the end we find a pair of simple two story buildings that are the childhood homes of Jade and I. The two buildings are very similar in appearance on the outside, both have a front porch and identical window positionings as well as color. The only noticeable differences between the two being the orientation and the placement of the doors, the two buildings are built side by side with one being the exact mirror of the other. My house on the left having its door off to the left, with Jade's house on the right has it's door off to the right.

I give Yang a nervous smile and the two of us start to walk up the steps to the porch, the old wood creaking underneath our feet. Out of habit I pause and sit down on the top step to take my boots off and plopping them down by the door. Yang takes notices and removes her shoes as well, placing them down next to mine. I walk over to the door and go to open it, but when my hand touches the handle I hesitate. Suddenly all i'm able to think of is the uncertainty of what will happen when I walk through, what terrible memories may torture me again. I can feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to face Yang. "Are you ok Jason?" I stare blankly into space not really focusing on anything in particular, but rather just staring in Yang's general direction. Lost in thought. "Yeah, I… I don't know." I trail off not sure how to say what i'm thinking, Yang cups my face in her hands. Coming in real close so that I have no choice but to look her directly into her eyes.

"I promise you you'll be ok, it won't matter what happens when we go in there. You won't have to face any of this alone, i'll be at your side no matter what." She leans in, closing the tiny gap between the two of us to give me a quick peck. "Now it's time, open the door Jason." Her tone is supportive but firm, I take a deep breath and turn away from her grabbing the door handle once more. This time I don't hesitate I turn the handle and open the door stepping inside in one fluent motion, I am standing in the entryway with the stairs in front of me. To my right is the living room and just past that is the kitchen. My mom and dad are sitting on the couch together but they quickly turn when they hear the door open. "Jason!...i'm so glad you're home." My mom shouts, her voice breaking slightly in the middle of her exclamation. She stands up from the couch to run over to me, grabbing me for a hug. My mother is a shorter woman, only standing at around 5'4 placing her head in my stomach during our hug. "It's good to see you mom." I wave to my dad who is just now getting up from the couch and making his way over. "You too dad."

I break our hug and drop my duffle bag onto the floor before gesturing for Yang to come closer, when she is next to me I start my introductions. "Yang I'd like you to meet my parents Jackson and Makayla Vidar. Mom, dad, this is my girlfriend Yang Xiao Long." Yang extends a hand to shake. "It's very nice to meet you Mr and Mrs Vidar, you have a lovely home." This time dad is the first to speak, shaking her hand at the same time. "Please call me Jackson. It's very nice to meet you Yang, you seem like a lovely young women. And Jason i'm glad you seem to be doing well, how's Gore?" I turn and look out the door to see Gore making his way onto the porch. "He's doing fine, there he is now actually." Gore comes trotting past and sits down next to my dad to say hello. While my dad is distracted with Gore, my mom makes it appoint to talk to Yang. "Just call me Makayla darling, it's good to meet you. Jason told us all about you over the phone but that never really compares to meeting the person does it. Anyway I digress, I wanna hear about you and Jason." My dad looks up when he hears the comment. "Yeah you gotta tell us all about the last few months since you've been away, Yang included. We missed yah you know."

 _ **This needs to wait till tomorrow, i'm to tired to deal with it now.**_

I step forward to interject. "You know we had a long trip today and we are both pretty tired, how about we hold the questioning until tomorrow?" Dad nods and goes back to giving his full attention to Gore while moms expression changes to one of annoyance and surprise, a look i've grown quite used to over the years. "Oh of course I have your room all set up for you Jason, and the guest room is ready-" I cut her off mid sentence. "No that won't be necessary Yang can just stay in my room." Knowing that my mom is going to have a problem with Yang sharing my room I quickly grab my duffle and take Yang's hand before rushing to the stairs, I can hear my mother start to protest but dad stops her. As the two of us quickly run up the stairs I call out a simple 'goodnight', before we are out of earshot. When we reach the top of the stairs I take an immediate right and head down until we reach my room at the end of the hall, passing several other doors along the way. The door is open and the two of us step inside, I examine the room to see that it's about the same as the last time I left.

Directly to the right of the door is my dresser, just past that in the corner is my weight rack still set up from my last session. In the back right corner of the room is my bed with a window just above it with the blinds closed, then lastly in the middle of the left wall is my closet with its doors left open. I drop my bag on the floor by the closet before flopping down on the bed, with my face down on the pillow. I can hear Yang moving around the room, most likely examining the posters and such on the walls. I roll over and see Yang looking at one particular picture, the picture of Timmy and I on one of our first hunting trips together, we were really young at the time but for some reason it's still one of my favorite pictures. Yang seems to notice me watching her and turns, walking over to the bed and on the edge next to me. "If you were wondering about that picture, it's of Timmy and I on one of our first hunting trips that our dad ever took us on. It's also one of the only pictures of him that I still keep around, for whatever reason that picture still brings back happy memories for me."

Yang looks down at me with a somewhat bittersweet expression on her face. "How are you feeling about being back so far?" She questions as she readjusts herself to be able to lay back next to me. "So far so good, i'm actually not dreading this trip at all so far. It actually feels kinda good to be back, I still think I need more time till i'm ready to stay here, but for now a visit is just fine." I give Yang a reassuring smile and her expression lightens a fair amount. "Good i'm glad to hear it, the last thing I want is for you to be suffering the whole time." She pauses to give me a kiss. "I mean where's the fun in that?" I chuckle. "I wouldn't know firecracker, but what I do know is that i'm going to get some sleep. I figure tomorrow I can show you around town and everything." Yang nods and returns my smile. "That sounds like fun, I can't wait. It's such a nice looking little community here, it reminds me a lot of patch."

"Well they're both small towns, just in different places. I love you firecracker, and thanks again for being so supportive." Yang blushes slightly and rolls over onto her other side to try and hide it. "I love you too, Jason." I wrap my right arm around her waist and pull her in close, feeling more relaxed the closer she is. We lay together in the dark, completely silent for a few moments before another thought dawns on me. "Oh and I apologise in advance for anything my mother might say or do over the next few days…"


	24. Chapter 24: Helping Others

POV: Blake Belladonna

Chapter Twenty Four: Helping Others

"Okay Blake, we can wait for them here, they should be out soon." Jade and I come across a bench in Beacons courtyard after finishing our daily jog, and as much as I hate the idea she'll be heading back to Atlas for a few days...alone. She'll be heading back with Jason and Yang, leaving me alone for at least a few days without anyone else around considering Weiss and Ruby will be leaving for patch this morning. While that fact isn't one of my favorites I'll still be able to talk to Jade through text, plus the abnormal silence will give me plenty of time to read. So it's really a tradeoff, where I'm getting the worse end of the deal. Jade and I both take a seat next to each other on the bench, I rest my head on her shoulder while we take a few moments to relax. A few minutes of silence go by before the distinct sound of a scroll going off disturbs it, I go to reach for my pocket but Jade speaks up. "I think that was mine." I watch as Jade takes her scroll from her pocket, her facial expression changing the minute she looks at the screen. Her usual happy somewhat arrogant grin that i've grown to love is replaced by anger.

Before I can do anything to stop her she throws her scroll, sending it flying for a few feet before it crashes to the pavement. "I can't fucking believe her nerve! After all this time, after everything she put me through." Jade screams standing up from the bench, momentarily gaining the attention of the other students who are standing around us. I stand up as well grabbing Jade's hands, forcefully turning her to face me before she can throw anything else and give her a kiss. It's a tactic i've used before to calm her and thankfully it works this time as well, I never thought anyone could be as hotheaded as Yang is but Jade proved me wrong. "Whose nerve Jade? Take a deep breath and talk to me." I make my tone as relaxed as possible to hoping that Jade will do the same and wait for her response. She follows my instructions and takes three long exaggerated breaths, breathing in through her nose before letting them out through her mouth. When she's finished she looks a bit calmer as she starts to explain.

"That message was from my ex, Lilith... Also known as the girl who dumped me out of the blue a six months ago, and she is now asking me for help." I let go of Jade's hands and turn to go pick up her scroll, when I pick it up I examine the screen and see that it has a large crack covering the entirety from the bottom middle of the screen all the way up to the right corner. I press the lock button and the screen still lights up, showing a very distorted picture of Jade and I from the night of the dance. "Well your scroll still works at least, though the screen is cracked pretty badly." I say when I close the short distance between Jade and I. Jade takes another deep breath, this time more out of annoyance than anything and sits back down on the bench. She doesn't seem as angry as before and instead resembles a small child pouting after they've gotten into trouble. Since I'm not sure of what else I can do to help I decide it may be best to look at this message for myself.

"Jade do you mind if I read the message? Maybe I can look at it more objectively than you can, considering I don't know Lilith." Jade looks at me and simply shrugs her shoulders. "You know I don't care. I'm open with everyone who asks, especially you." I nod and unlock the phone, reading the message that is still open on the screen. _Jade I need your help, I messed up badly and you're the only person I trust enough for something like this. I know it's asking a lot but will you please meet me at the corner cafe by the Vale airship dock today at four o'clock, I hope I can count on you._ When i'm finished reading the message I lock the scroll and hand it back to Jade, she takes it and looks at the screen before putting it back in her pocket. "She seems desperate, are you going to help her?" I ask my tone firm, showing that i'm fully serious.

"I don't see why I should, I don't think she deserves my help after what she did. We were together for five months, then we go to Vale and suddenly she's changed because of how bad the faunus were and are treated there. She acted as if she was trying to do me a favor, told me to go home, and we were done... just like that." Jade pauses and lets out a loud exhale. "That was six months ago. Now she wants my help, but i'm not feeling very helpful." I pause for a moment thinking over the information Jade just told me, and I start to get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Did she ever mention where she went, or what she planned to do?" I question, the feelings of anger and the desire for faunus equality feeling all too familiar with me, I just hope she didn't make the same mistake that I did. "She didn't tell me anything but I saw her talking to some Whitefang goons not too long after that, I didn't stick around." My fears are unfortunately confirmed, and considering how desperate the message sounded this can't be good. "Jade, no matter what you think of her or how mad at her your are. I think we should try to help, or hear her out at the very least." Jade looks at me rather surprised and more than a little confused. "Why do you care about her, You didn't even know who she was until a minute ago?"

 _ **How much can I tell her without telling her everything?**_

"I've had interactions with the Whitefang before, their bad news. And if she in trouble because of them, she should have someone to help her out. Whether you help or not, i'm going to atleast try." Jade ponders what I said for a few moments before coming up with her answer. "I'm still pissed at her... and I don't think I'll ever forgive her for what she did, but if you think we should help… I'll come along too." I smile and go to say something but Jade speaks up again. "On the condition I get to play with those cute ears of yours tonight." She gives me one of her adorable confident smirks, which I do my best to ignore and shoot back a scowl. I start to think of a response when I notice Jason and Yang out of the corner of my eye and stop myself, this can wait until later. "Yo Jade, make out with Blake later we gotta get going. Our airship leaves in fifteen minutes."Jade and I exchange a look. Crap I forgot, how is Jade going to get out of her trip without causing suspicion.

"You know what i'll meet you there I don't think that i'm gonna be leaving today after all." Jason gives Jade a hug but before he let's her go he holds her there for a minute, presumably to tell her something and thanks to my improved faunus hearing I can hear what he says. "I won't ask what you and Blake are up to, but just be smart about whatever it is ok?" Well, he's smarter than I gave him credit for. I never thought he was an idiot but with the jock-ish vibe he gives off I could never have been quite sure. Yang and Jason say their goodbyes and head off on their way, leaving Jade and I alone once more. "So it's only noon… what do you want to do until four?" Jade asks, trying to get a new conversation started. "I don't know, I could probably read for the next few hours. Or did you have something else in mind." I pause for a moment noticing Jade has another smirk on her face. "If it has anything to do with you touching my ears i'm going to hurt you." Jade's smirk disappears and she slumps down slightly on the bench. "I'll leave you too your reading."

The hours seemed to pass quickly as the two of us waited to leave for our meeting with Lilith. I as usual spent most of the free time trying to read, while Jade found other ways of entertaining herself. Including getting me to eventually abandon my previous position and let her play with my ears, between her smirk and that confident flirtatious tone of hers it's almost impossible to say no. Though I somewhat regret that decision now, not because it isn't a pleasurable experience but rather quite the opposite. Jade is a little to good at teasing me when it comes to my animal appendages, so good in fact I had to excuse myself for a short walk to calm myself down. But thankfully before things got too far out of hand the time it came time to leave, I figured that leaving at about three twenty and accounting for about a twenty minute airship flight to Vale we would end up at the cafe right on time. As usual i'm right and we get to the cafe at three fifty five, not only on time but a little early.

Jade takes a seat at one of the outside tables and I sit across from her while we wait, leaving two empty seats at the table. "So what does lilith look like exactly?" I ask Jade so that I have at least a general understanding of who we are looking for, Jade opens her mouth to answer but says nothing, closing her mouth once more. I notice a change in her facial expression and figure she must have spotted her ex somewhere in the crowd, she points off to my back left. "That would be her right there." I turn and look behind me, following Jade's finger to make spotting her slightly easier. The girl I see is relatively tall i'd say probably around five five, with shoulder length curly black hair. She is wearing a grey hoodie and slate colored sweat pants, her eyes have a look of innocence to them and she has a small button nose.

To be honest she's quite attractive in the physical sense at least, the only thing that is strange is the fact that I don't see any noticeable faunus traits but then again those can be concealed rather easily. Lilith notices Jade and smiles, making her way over to us through the crowd. When she reaches us she takes a seat and makes her introductions starting with Jade. "Thank you for coming Jade, you don't know how much I appreciate this." She pauses momentarily, turning her attention to me. "I don't think I know you, i'm guessing your a friend of Jade's. Nice to meet you i'm Lilith.-"

" _Girlfriend_ actually, Blake Belladonna. Pleased to meet you." My introduction seems to surprise Lilith, but she does her best to hide it. "Oh... that's nice, I-" Jade interrupts her mid sentence. "Enough small talk Lilith, what is so damn important that you made me make the trip to Vale. That cryptic message of yours didn't explain much… though I guess that was the point." Lilith looks at Jade and I and starts to explain. "Well after what happened when we went to Atlas, I decided to join the Whitefang to fight for faunus equality. Almost immediately they started using me for missions, and at first it was just one or two every couple days simple things and I thought that we were actually doing the right thing. But after about a couple months things got more… serious for lack of a better term. The jobs went from a simple protest or the occasional robbery to beatings, muggings, kidnappings and even murders."

Lilith pauses and takes a somewhat shaky breath, I glance over to Jade and notice that her facial expression hasn't changed since the story started. She just sits there solid as stone listening, her face void of any of her usual emotion. "I couldn't deal with that, it wasn't something that I wanted to be a part of. I told them I wanted out, that what we were doing wasn't right but they ignored me. When I pressed the issue they threatened me, they told me that if I left i'd be killed and if they couldn't find me they'd find my family… my friends, anyone that was close to me and they would pay in my place." When Lilith is done speaking an uncomfortable silence hangs in the air, I give Jade a questioning look and she speaks up. "Ok Lilith this is bad no doubt about it… but I don't really see how we are supposed to help here.

I mean there are two of us versus an entire criminal organization." Lilith looks down at the table seemingly defeated, her last option turning into a dead end. Her situation feels so close to my own, i can't stop myself and i blurt out an answer. "Lilith we can find a way to help you, I promise." Jade shows me a rare look of what what assume to be real anger. "We will, I mean Blake I want to help too but-" I cut her off before she can finish. "Yes we can." I keep my tone firm even with my own mounting uncertainties, Jades expression shifts to one of confusion as she mouths the words. " _Are you sure about this?"_ I give her a nod and she shrugs her shoulders. "Yeah I guess we have a plan…"


	25. Chapter 25: The Gift That Gives Again

POV: Ruby Rose

Chapter Twenty Five: The Gift That Gives Again

The smell of pancakes cooking brings me out of my sleep and back into the realm of the living, I crawl out of my covers and stand up to crack my back. Surprisingly enough my dad was cool enough to let Weiss and I share my room, but only after agreeing to the conditions that the door stays open at all times and that we cannot share the bed. And because Weiss is my guest I insisted that she sleep in my bed, leaving me on the floor. I grab some clothes and quickly change out of my pajamas, exchanging them for a pair of red shorts and a black t-shirt with a red rose in the center of my chest. I consider waking Weiss but decide against it, knowing how grouchy she can be in the morning and instead quietly walk across the room to the door. With my clothes sorted I walk down the hall towards the living room, a sudden rumbling starting in my stomach because of the wonderful smell that fills the air more and more as I get closer to the end of the hall.

When I get to the living room I look to the kitchen to see my dad behind the stove with his back towards me, making breakfast. He turns around to add another finished pancake to the stack and notices me, a smile appearing on his face. "Morning Ruby, Weiss still asleep i'm guessing?" I nod in acknowledgement and make my way over to the counter, taking a seat on one of the stools in front of a massive layout of food. "Help yourself! I was trying to be sure I made enough, and in the process I may have gone a little overboard." He turns around and grabs two plates from the cupboard, handing me one and keeping the other for himself. I grab myself some pancakes, liberally coating them in butter and syrup before I start to chow down. I hadn't noticed until I had started to eat just how hungry I was, quickly finishing my first three pancakes before going back for more.

"So did you sleep ok? It was nice of you to take the floor so that Weiss could have the bed, but if you want if you want you know the couches are always an option." I finish chewing and swallow before I answer, my usual happy tone starting to come back now that i'm a little more awake. "Yeah I slept pretty well for being on the floor, but then again I was pretty tired from the trip here so we'll honestly have to see how it goes tonight. I thought about the couch but i'd rather sleep in my room in honesty, a creature of habit." He chuckles and we go back to eating, I finish my pancake and I suddenly feel really full. I stand up from my chair and walk my plate over to the sink, when that's taken care I open the fridge to get myself some milk. I grab the milk jug and put it down on the counter while I grab myself a glass, I stand on my tip toes and grab a glass from the shelf. I fill uncap the milk and fill my glass to the brim before recapping it and placing the jug back in the fridge.

As I turn to go back to my seat I and suddenly reminded that someone is missing. "Where's uncle Qrow?" My dad just shrugs his shoulders and stands up from his seat. "No idea he got called for a mission two nights ago, but he should be back sometime later tonight he said." He pauses and turns around, placing his plate in the sink. He leaves the kitchen and moves over to the living room to take a seat in his recliner. "Did you two have anything planned for today, or are you just going to hang around the house?" I follow and take a seat on the couch adjacent to him before I answer. "I figured i'd take Weiss out to do something in town, but I don't really have anything specific in mind. I'll make it up as I go along." After my answer my dad simple nods, leaving a long silence that hangs in the air before I can hear Weiss coming down the hall.

I sit up straight so that I can see from where I'm sitting, spotting Weiss standing at the end of the hall still looking rather sleepy. "Good Morning Princess!" I call out happily, causing a slight pink tint to appear in her cheeks. She is still wearing her white nightgown with a pair of Flannel pajama bottoms, her hair has been brushed slightly but not to the extent that it normally is. For someone who hates mornings, she sure does look great. "Good Morning Weiss, there's food in the kitchen if you want. I made pancakes." Dad says as he grabs for the remote and turns on the TV. Weiss does her best attempt at a smile in the morning and replies. "Thank you but I think I'm ok for now, I don't normally eat just after I've woken up. Thank you though I'll eat in a little while." Dad nods and starts flipping through the channels in an attempt to find something that interests him. Weiss on the other hand, makes her way over to me and takes a seat next to my right on the couch. Much to my surprise and benefit, Weiss even takes my hand in hers and when she's sure dad isn't looking gives me a quick peck on the cheek. Whispering "Good morning, Dolt" in my ear before turning herself to be able to see the TV better while leaning against me for support.

The simple action is out of character for Weiss but in a good way, which makes me ecstatic considering she's starting to come out of that shell of hers. Dad puts on a news channel and a reporter appears on screen to talk about the local events in patch over the last day or so, the more she rambles on the more bored I start to become. I do my best to keep myself entertained because Weiss and my dad both seem relatively interested the news and I don't want to disrupt them. This goes on for about twenty or so agonizingly boring minutes, the same old stories being reran and overanalyzed before a story finally catches my attention. " _In other news the notorious criminal, Roman Torchwick is once again fleeing from authorities after yet another dust store robbery last night right here in our very own small town of Patch. Just going to show that nowhere seems to be safe from this massive wave of dust thefts, all residents of Patch are warned to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. If you have any information on Torchwick or any of his associates please contact Patch Police Department."_

 _ **Torchwick and the White Fang are coming to Patch of all places for dust? Something doesn't seem right about this…**_

"Weiss does your family's company supply that store by chance?" I ask as the news anchor moves onto the next topic. Weiss contemplates for a few moments before she answers. "I think so, last time I checked we supply all but a few shops in Vale. Why?"

"I was just thinking, all of the shops that have been robbed recently have all been connected to your family. I don't know I was just thinking that maybe these criminals are targeting your family for some reason." Weiss's gives me a strange look but quickly returns to a smile. "It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, a lot of people don't like my family for a lot of different reasons. They could be trying to get back at my family for something my father did to them in the past, it could be thugs hired by one of our competitors to try and gain an advantage over us. To be honest it could be a lot of things, but i'm not going to worry about it considering i'm on vacation and thinking about my family's business is something that i'd rather not spend it on. I get enough of that as it is." There is a momentary silence that hangs in the air before she continues, trying to quickly change the subject.

"But enough of that, what should we do today? I don't know much about your hometown so I don't really know what there is to do around here." I can't help but smile as I answer. "Well I don't really have anything too special but I was thinking we could go to town and walk around, I could show you around some of my favorite places. Maybe we could get lunch?" Weiss stands up from the couch and flashes me a smile as she turns to head to the kitchen, calling out to me as she walks. "Sure that sounds great, let me just get some breakfast and do my hair and i'll be ready to go."

"How much farther is it Ruby?" Weiss asks as we walk on the path that sits next to the main road that leads into town. "Yep, just over this hill and were there." I check my scroll for the time and see that it is just after nine o'clock. After Weiss got her breakfast, we both got dressed and took care of our hair, and got out of the house and on our way it was only about eight fifty. So all things considered our walk into town has only taken about ten minutes, which considering the distance we are right on time. The two of us make it to the edge of town and look down the small two lane street. "Look, Weiss! That's my favorite bakery in town, and oh over there is the sport and rec center. Where do you want to go first?" I ask excited to show off the town I love to someone I care so much about like Weiss. "Is there anything going on sports wise today? I might be interested in seeing a sparring match or something like that, or maybe we could even get some practice in if your willing."

"Sounds like fun, there's almost always a match on because it's open to the public. But if there isn't one or it's boring, it wouldn't hurt to get some practice in with my sweetheart." I reach behind my back and tap Crescent Rose, giving Weiss a somewhat arrogant smirk to make sure I get her attention. "You seem confident, think you can beat me do you?" Weiss questions her heiress tone starting to slip back into play, I keep a playful arrogance to my tone and continue to tease her. "Well I don't know…Maybe." My comment gets me a look of annoyance that is so common from Weiss. "Well we will just have to see won't we, Dolt." I giggle only seeming to add to her annoyance but she says nothing and starts to follow me down the road. We walk along the sidewalk passing houses as we go, after about four blocks we take a right down one off of one of the smaller feeder roads that leads to the rec center. The smaller road takes us right up to the entrance after about another three blocks of walking, I've walked this route a countless number of times throughout my childhood on Patch. Considering that we are just a small island we don't really have too much to do, so a lot of mine and Yang's younger years were spent hanging out around town.

When we get to the double door entrance of the building I step forward and open the door, holding it for Weiss before following inside. The inside of the building somewhat resembles the training arena at Beacon, but instead of having one large circle to compete in the middle of the room is split up into four smaller circles. Each having it's own referee and set of competitors, in front of us is a table with a clipboard on it to register to have a match. I pick up the clipboard and grab the pen, signing Weiss and I up on the next available match which should be in about twenty minutes. While we wait, I take Weiss's hand and the two of us walk to the bleachers the surround the arena's floor and take a seat. We sit together for about fifteen minutes before the current matches start to get boring to me, so I change my attention to Weiss. "Hey Princess are you ready for our match? I think I may even finally get to try out your gift, it's only fitting after all."

Weiss seems confused for a moment and then she seems to put two and two together. "Oh the dust rounds I got you, I thought you used them already?" I smile. "Well I did but only a few test shots at the training targets, I haven't tried them against a real opponent yet. So now I guess i'm getting my chance."


	26. Chapter 26: Burning Away the Darkness

POV: Yang Xiao Long

Chapter Twenty Five:

The sudden chill of the early morning air brings me out of my sleep, rolling over I reach my arm out hoping to find Jason but instead my arm simply flops gently down on the empty bed next to me. I open my eyes and confirm that i'm alone in the bed, meaning that Jason is up before me as usual. I reach for my scroll, finding it on the windowsill above the bed where I left and check the time. The clock on the lock screen reads five forty five. Considering I probably won't be able to get back to sleep I toss the scroll on the bed, protecting my tired eyes from the brightness and reluctantly swing my legs off the bed and stand up.

 _ **This is early even by Jason's standards… I hope he's ok.**_

I make my way over to the closet where I left my suitcase and pick out some clothes to wear, since I don't quite know what i'm going to be doing today I decide that a simple pair of black shorts and yellow t-shirt with my blazing heart emblem on it will suffice for now atleast. Still feeling a slight chill I also decide to grab the blazer I 'borrowed' from Jason and throw that on as well, the feeling of wearing his jacket filling me with thoughts of the day before last when Jason and I took our first step towards becoming something serious. With my outfit taken care of I walk over to the door and step out into the hall, I follow the same path the two of us took last night being careful to muffle my walking because of how early it is. I get to the top of the steps and am about to walk downstairs when I notice a light on and hear some muffled speaking voices that seem to be coming from the kitchen, I walk down about three steps and listen in.

"It's been over a week since I last had one, i've been fine dammit! I've been happy and even getting back here I was still ok… then I wake up in a panic and I feel more guilty than ever." I recognise the voice as Jason's but something is different this time, he sounds a lot more broken up than he usually does. "Jason it wasn't your fault, no one blames you. So you have to learn to not blame yourself." Another voice speaks up, which guessing from the depth and slight accent to it I determine that it's probably Mr. Vidar. "I know it wasn't… but I just can't stop thinking that there was something I could have done, something that could have saved him." His voice cracks and I hear faint sounds of crying, followed by a few comforting words from Mr. Vidar. Not wanting to walk into a personal matter between Jason and his dad, I turn around and head back up the stairs. I get to the top turning to go back down the hall and end up running right into Mrs. Vidar. "Morning Mrs. Vidar, I ugh… was just heading back to Jason's room." I say trying to hide the fact that I was listening in on what was going on downstairs.

"Call me Makayla, Yang, thank you. Something going on downstairs? I assume that's why you're turning around after all." Seeing as there isn't really a reason to lie at this point I tell the truth. "Well I woke up and noticed that Jason was up earlier than usual, I was worried that he may have had another nightmare so I started to head downstairs. But I heard Jason and his dad having a personal conversation and I didn't want to intrude, so I decided to go back to the room and wait." Makayla looks me up and down and sighs, looking rather frustrated but not with me. "Well he still goes to Jackson for help over me, can't say i'm surprised." She pauses for a moment seemingly contemplating what to say next. "How much has Jason told you about what happened to his brother? It's not something he's very willing to talk about often. Though I know he told you something if you know about his nightmares."

"The only thing he told me was that his brother died and he thought it was his fault, I didn't really question any further than that." Makayla slowly nods. "Understandable, well I'll fill in some of the blanks for you. First I bet you probably already figured it out but it wasn't Jason's fault, even though he blames himself for it. The short version of the story is the two of them went out on a hike late in the day, the path that they took led them into a pack of beowolves and they got attacked. They were both young at the time and weren't really experienced enough to fight them on their own. Jason was fast enough to get up a tree out of danger, but Timmy got surrounded…" Her voice breaks and she pauses for a moment to gather herself. "Well you know the rest, I think that's why Jason blames himself. He looks at it as he saved himself rather than look after his little brother, when in reality there was nothing he could have done. But you should know how stubborn he is, he'll never listen." She sighs loudly. "Enough of that depressing stuff, come downstairs dear it's time for breakfast." Mikayla steps past me and starts walking down the stairs, waving for me to follow.

I hesitate, not wanting to disrupt Jason's conversation with his father. "Ugh do you think I should, I mean I don't want to interrupt during something so personal you know?" She pauses and turns to me smiling. "Oh please, if you weren't important enough to him to be considered family, he wouldn't have risked bringing you here to meet us. If i'm honest, I think we embarrass him at times. But as parents that's what we do best, it's part of the job." She chuckles to herself and continues down the stairs, this time with me following behind her. The two of us get to the bottom of the stairs and take a left, heading through the living room towards the kitchen. Ahead of us in the kitchen sits a long wooden table, Mr. Vidar is sitting on the left side of the table next to Jason who is bent over in his chair with his head in his hands. I also notice Gore laying at Jasons feet, silently watching us. We go unnoticed until we get to the edge of the kitchen and Makayla announces our presence. "Good morning!" She says happily, Jason shoots up in his seat, obviously trying to hide the fact that he was crying. "Morning Firecracker, you sleep ok? Hey mom."

"Oh please Jason, you can stop acting like you don't have any emotions at anytime. You aren't fooling anyone, least of all Yang. So man up and let it out, no one is going to judge you." Jason's face turns a dark shade of red and he looks away from me, clearly embarrassed. "It's not that they aren't there mom, I just do my best to try and avoid them." He looks back at me and manages a smirk, even when he's upset he still manages to seem happy. "Yeah keep dealing with them like that and you'll run yourself into an early grave, but what would I know i'm only your mother. Why would you ever listen to me?" Her tone is rich with sarcasm and annoyance as she walks to my right to the far end of the kitchen where the stove and refrigerator are, assumingly to start making breakfast. Jason rolls his eyes standing up from his chair to walk over to me, wrapping me in his muscular arms and planting a quick kiss on my forehead. I watch over Jason's shoulder as Mr. Vidar stands from his seat and goes over to help Makayla, giving the two of us some relative privacy.

"Are you doing ok? I know you may not want to hear it but, your mom is kinda right about the whole emotions thing. If you need to talk you know I'm here too right?" He looks down into my eyes and nods, seeming a little more relaxed than before. "Good, let's have some breakfast." I whisper to him and the two of us turn to take a seat at the table. Makayla and Jackson are still over at the stove finishing up what they are doing, but after Jason and I take a seat at the table it's only a minute or so before they join us. A decent spread of food being laid out on the table when they do. Jason and I sit on the right side of table and I'm sitting on Jason's left, while Jackson sits at the head of the table closer to the stove and Makayla sits on the other side of the table to his right directly across from Jason. Breakfast is eggs, waffles, and homemade hash browns, we all dig in, serving ourselves the delicious food. Jason even grabs a waffle and drops it for Gore, who as always is sitting silently at his feet beneath the table. As we eat we offer occasional small talk for a few minutes before Jackson brings the conversation to a more interesting topic.

"So Jason, Yang how's school going for the two of you?" Jason wolfs down the egg he was in the middle of eating, looking over to see if I wanna answer first. I nod to him and he answers. **-** "Still not a big fan of the book work side of things, but thankfully i've got Yang for a study partner. As for combat training, i've already been on a mission… that didn't really go as well as it could have, but we got it done." Makayla and Jackson nod, satisfied with Jason's answer and turn their attention to me. "Having a study partner has been a nice change, makes studying more fun and both of our grades have gone up since we started. And now that I have a durable sparring partner, i'd like to think that my fighting style is more dialed in." I glance over at Jason and give him a smile, which he returns before looking back to the two of them. Both Makayla and Jackson smile but Jackson is the one to speak. "Good i'm very glad to hear that you two are doing well, you especially Jason. I can't say I was very happy about the idea of you leaving, but I always did wish you the best and i'm very happy that you seem to have found it at Beacon and with Yang here."

Jackson's voice is filled with excitement and joy, Jason is grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks dad, haha i'm doing my best. Glad it seems to be working out ok." There is a moment or two of quiet before Makayla speaks up with a question of her own. "Speaking of you Yang, how did the two of you end up together? Not that i'm surprised really, Jason has always been good with girls i'm just curious is all." Before I can answer, Jason interjects. "Oh, oh, oh you mind if I tell this one Firecracker?" He questions verbally while also turning to get my approval, I smile nodding and he continues.

 _ **Ah that's so sweet.**_

I smile to myself and listen happily as Jason starts to tell his story. "Well it started on my first day at Beacon funnily enough. I got outta bed and went to try and find the cafeteria, Gore following behind as usual. I stepped out of my dorm room into the hallway and literally ran into her, and being me I start up a conversation. After some small talk we end up going to the cafeteria together for breakfast, we get our food and talk some more i'm being sarcastic kinda giving her a hard time and I managed to say something stupid. Big surprise right? Anyway I find out about Yang's temper the hard way and we get into a sparring match a couple hours after that. We went at it for a while before I ultimately lost badly and got blasted by her shotgun gauntlets, but I still have to say she is the prettiest girl to ever crack three of my ribs." I start to laugh, which seems to make Jason happy and he starts to chuckle.

"It's not the most conventional way of meeting someone, but it is quite a good story to tell." Makayla says as she stands up from the table, taking her plate as well as the rest of ours to the kitchen. I go to stand up and offer a hand but she is quick to stop me, still smiling. "Don't worry i've got the dishes you just sit and chat, enjoy yourselves." I try to contest but Makayla refuses to hear it and I inevitably end up in my chair while she cleans. "So Yang, tell us a little more about yourself. We've heard a decent bit between Jason and Jade but it's always better to hear it from the source you know." He says with a smile, seemingly genuinely curious. "Ok yeah, um where should I start. I was born on a small island in Vale called patch, I have a younger sister named Ruby who is also the leader of my team at Beacon. Oh and my uncle and dad are both professional huntsman… I'm not sure what else there is to say really, I'm not too exciting." Jason laughs. "The hell you aren't, tell him that one story you told me about how you fought that club owner what was his name… Junior or something like that right, you kicked the shit out of him didn't you?"

 _ **Well he's a good listener i'll give him that.**_

"Well yes, that did happen and i'll admit it was awesome but I was trying to be modest, at least a little bit." He grins obviously pleased with himself as usual but says nothing, since I don't quite know what to say silence falls over the room before Makayla interjects. "Jackson there will be plenty of time to talk over the next few days, why don't we give the kids some privacy. It's nearly seven already and i'm guessing that you'll want to show Yang around town today right?" Jason quickly pulls his scroll from his pocket to confirm the time before slipping it back into his pocket. "Yeah I was planning on giving the 'grand tour' today, it's probably be best to start early." He stands up from the table, pushing his chair in before offering me his hand. "Sound good to you?" He asks, gentlemanly as usual. "Sounds great." I take his hand and stand as well, and together the two of us leave the kitchen and head for the door Jason offering a simple 'bye' as we do. When we get to the living room though we pause for a moment, Jason walks over to a small end table by his dad's recliner and grabs a camo baseball cap with some cursive writing on it.

He puts the cap on and we go on our way, a whistle echoes as a signal for Gore to follow. We leave the house and start to make our way down the dirt road that leads away from the twin houses that sit at the end of the street. We walk quietly together holding hands as we go down the road, after a few minutes of walking we get back to the main road that we were on the day before. We take a left, following the sidewalk for a block or two before Jason points out one particular building in front of us. "Well the town isn't anything really special but that right there is the butcher shop, and right next to that is the clothing shop. Works out great because they make everything out of the hide and leather from the butcher shop. All handmade and at least from my experience holds up pretty well, they made that jacket actually and my boots. Most things in town come from people in town, we produce just about everything we need ourselves, because of how isolated we are way out here."

He turns off the sidewalk and leads me up the steps to the front door of the shop, two large floor to ceiling display windows sit on either side of the door. He pulls the door and holds it open for me, gesturing for me to go inside. "I figure since you came all the way out here for me, well I figure you probably need something to remember the trip, my treat." He gives me another one of his 'way to pleased with himself' smiles as I walk into the small storefront, the door closing behind us. The store is rather small compared to the ones in vale, instead the size is more reminiscent to the stores back in patch. Small and quaint little buildings and make more effective use of their limited space. Straight ahead is the checkout counter, a man who looks about a year or two older than Jason and myself is standing behind it folding clothes. To my left lining the wall is a display of boots, a few different styles ranging from cowboy to workboots sit on the shelves. On the right side of the store are three or four clothing racks with different jackets and other articles of clothing hanging from them on hangers.

"Hey Riley how yah doing?" Jason says, gaining the attention of the store owner who looks up and smiles at the two of us. "Jason I didn't know you were back in town, and who's this with you. Very nice to meet you ma'am." He gives me a kind smile before turning his attention back to Jason for his answer. "This is my girlfriend Yang, she came home with me for a visit and while we were here I thought it would be a good idea to get her a little something. I'm thinking maybe a pair of boots, make any good ones lately?" Riley's expression changes while he thinks for a moment or so before he answers. "Yeah I've got a few pairs that I think you'll like, follow me." He steps out from behind the sales counter and walks the two of us over to the women's cowboy boots, before grabbing one particular pair from the top shelf.

"I made these ones about a month ago out of an elk Blair took down, one of my best pairs." Jason takes the boots from Riley and hands them over to me for my approval. I look the boots over, admiring the amount of detailed work that was put into them. The brown boots have a slightly raised heel to them but nearly as high as a pair of heels, the sides have some leafs and wildlife detailed on the sides in black and yellow. The perfect colors for me. "What do you think firecracker, try em on?" Jason questions as I look for a place to sit down, finding a short stool nearby I sit down and change my usual boots out for the new ones. "I like em, the colors are great and they have awesome detail." I slip the boots on and stand up, they are padded on the inside and really surprisingly comfortable especially for a new pair of boots. I take a short jaunt around the shop, before ending up back where I started.

 _ **These are definitely way better than my old boots.**_

I sit back down on the stool and look to Jason and Riley, both of them have curious looks on their faces. "So how do you like em?" Jason asks, I reply quickly in an excited tone. "I love them! You do great work Riley." Jason and Riley both smile and Jason turns to him. "I think they're the ones buddy, we'll take em." The two of them go over to the counter leaving me alone, I gather my old boots and place them inside the new boots box to make them easier to carry. I notice that Gore is sitting next to me his red eyes focused on me for some reason, somewhat timidly I reach out my hand and give his head a rub. He doesn't object and instead moves closer so that I can scratch his ears.

 _ **Well this is new, I think i've made a friend.**_

"Well it looks like you two are finally starting to get along, and just when I thought you couldn't get any better." Jason's voice suddenly pipes up from behind me, causing me to turn quickly right into a surprise kiss. My face starts to feel warm and I know that i'm blushing but I lean in further, wanting to deepen the moment. He suddenly pulls back and looks me over, his face supremely confident but also a darker shade of red than usual. "Nah I was wrong, I don't think you'll ever stop getting better. You ready to continue the tour, the boots are all yours now." I find it slightly difficult to form a cohesive thought at the moment, so I simply nod so the two of us head on our way. With Gore following we go back out the door and continue our walk down the sidewalk, as we go Jason points out a few more buildings. We see the general store, an outdoor supply shop, and a few of his favorite places to eat and hangout.

After a few minutes of walking we come across a building that is much larger than the other ones, this particular building has a decent sized playground sitting in the clearing next to it and is surrounded by a large park. "Hey Jason, what's that?" I question, pointing the building out so that he knows what i'm talking about. He looks over at the building and chuckles, changing our direction to head over to a nearby clearing where we sit down to rest for a moment. "That's the school I used to go to, they teach all the kids from the town actually. All the way to Atlas combat academy if they so choose, it was pretty fun time going there I gotta say. I remember that playground over there is where Timmy and I used to always…" He trails off abruptly and I can notice tears starting to form in his eyes, I slip my arms under his and force him to turn and face me. "Jason, Jason talk to me are you ok?" Jason says nothing but starts to quietly sob, resting his head on my shoulder.

I hold him tightly, whispering some soothing words in his ear and trying my best to comfort him. Gore tries to help as well, placing himself next to the two of us to make his presence known. A few minutes pass and the two of us sit there quietly holding each other, the only sound being the wind blowing the leafs on the trees. A few more minutes pass before Jason is calm enough to speak again, his voice still a little shaky at first. "Well this is rather awkward isn't it, thanks firecracker. I love you, I don't know something about seeing this place again just kinda brought that up." I smile and he tries to separate himself but I hold him in place. "It's not awkward, I know you're hurting right now Jason. Coming back to a place filled with so many memories of someone you lost isn't an easy thing to deal with, so i'm going to make sure that your ok. I don't want to lose you."

Jason lifts his head from my shoulder and looks into my eyes, are faces a mere inch apart before he leans in for another kiss. We start out with a long string of short kisses one after another, which eventually turn into a long slow french kiss. I wrap my arms around the back of his neck and pull myself into his lap, I can feel his arms trail down to my lower back pulling me in as close as possible. We stay together as close as possible, just enjoying ourselves as well as each other before we have to pull back for air. "You know i'm starting to feel better now I think, well i'm feeling something." He says in between breaths, I laugh and climb off his lap offering him a hand to stand up. "Well we can deal with that later, for now I think we should continue the tour." I tease him, earning a somewhat confused smile but it's a smile all the same.

We walk past the school, the established path disappearing and we start to walk simply based on Jason's path. Eventually after another twenty minutes or so of walking we come back around to the main road of town, I can hear the clanging of metal as we get closer and notice a forge off to the right in between some buildings. We pause for a moment and Jason excitedly turns to me. "Hey Firecracker a friend of mine works in that forge over there, and I think he's there right now. Would you be ok for a few minutes if I ran over there to say hi?" I nod. "Yeah i'll be fine, go say hi to your friend." He plants a quick kiss on my cheek offering a thank you as he runs off, I look around me and see a few buildings but nothing really of interest so I pull out my scroll. Checking for messages and browsing through some old pictures to entertain myself while I wait, after a little while I hear footsteps approaching and look up assuming to see Jason but instead see someone else entirely.

The guy standing in front of me is probably around five foot nine, he's in decent shape not as good as Jason but about average. The clothes he has on are simple, just a red t-shirt and blue jeans. He's standing in front of me eyeing me kinda creepily. "Can I help you?" I ask intentionally putting an edge to me tone, making my point known. "Well I just couldn't help but stare, you're looking really fine."

 _ **Oh great, now I gotta deal with this.**_

"Thanks but i'm actually waiting for my boyfriend right now, so if you could not that would be great." The look on his face changes to one of annoyance. "Oh yeah? Who's your boyfriend I don't see anybody around here." I roll my eyes. "My boyfriend is Jason Vidar, and I don't think he'd much appreciate you giving me problems." He scoffs. "I know Jason, he's a pussy and what is going to do?" I start to get annoyed, but decide it's best just to leave the situation alone turning to walk over to the forge. "Don't walk away from me bitch, I asked you something." I turn around, furious and I can only guess that my eyes have their infamous red tint to them. Before I can say anything I can hear Jason's voice from behind me. "Aaron what the fuck do you think you're doing." I turn and see Jason running towards me with someone following behind him that I assume to be his friend. He runs past me and runs head on into Aaron, slamming him hard into the nearby wall causing a loud thud.

He looks over to me a look of worry and anger on his face. "He didn't do anything stupid did he Firecracker?" I shake my head and he nods turning his attention back to Aaron, keeping him pinned to the wall. "Oh you a big man now, gotta watch over your girlfriend huh Jason?" Jason glances over to me and smirks, obviously planning something. He lets go of the punk and takes a step back, his hands sarcastically up in the air. "No it's fine Aaron, i'm sorry i shouldn't have interrupted. You started this with Yang i'll let you finish it with Yang, she can handle herself." I step forward to Jason's side, there is a brief look of confusion on his face before my fist connects and he crumples to the ground. Jason laughs out loud. "Well I can guarantee he wasn't expecting that."


	27. Chapter 27: Arkos on Break

**To start this chapter is really short, it isn't my shortest chapter to date but its close at only about 1,300 words. The reason for this is because my life has been really crazy, and when I have had the time to write I have been focusing on other things. The other reason is there isn't much a that I could think of to make this chapter longer, it was more of just a check in for Arkos over the break and a simple and short little bit before we move on with the main three couples. Anyway I am going ot try my very best to get back on schedule and put out a new full length chapter next week. Thanks for understanding, and as always thanks for reading 3 Well thats it for now guys, and i'll see you all, in the next chapter.**

POV: Jaune Arc

Chapter Twenty Seven:

I step outside into the early morning, the cool air hitting me and shaking out whatever sleepiness that might have still been lingering. I walk along the now familiar path from the student dorms to the Beacon training center. As I walk I pull out my scroll and open my notes to go over my training regiment for the week, since Jason knew he wasn't going to be here for the week he left me a _very_ detailed outline for me to follow. Including a list of weight goals, as well as what I should be eating after words. Going over the list seems to make the walk seem shorter, and after a few minutes I walk through the doors to the training center. My legs seem to work on auto pilot, seemingly following wall to the weight room door on their own.

When I reach the tall double doors I grab the handle to pull it open before stepping inside. I cross over to the far right side of the room, preferring a rack father away from the door and start setting up for my workout. Starting with squats, I set the rack to shoulder height and put two forty five pound plates on either side of the bar before stepping under it to do my set. I lift the weight off of it's safeties before squatting down being sure to keep the weight balance on my shoulders before standing up once more. I repeat the process repeatedly, intermediately changing out or even adding more weight to the bar. Staring blankly at the wall in front of me during the repetitive exercise causes my mind to start to wander to thoughts of Pyrrha. The images of her beauty giving me the strength to finish my final set, the fatigue starting to cause my legs to burn as I re-rack the weight.

 _ **Two hundred and twenty, I've improved by nearly fifty pounds. I guess these are really working.**_

With my squats done I clean the weight off the rack, placing them back where I retrieved them and get set up for benchpress. I continue to follow Jason's plan to the letter, switching from benchpress to curls and even throwing the medicine ball around some. As I workout, I find it increasingly difficult to stay focused on what i'm doing my mind constantly preferring to wander back to Pyrrha. The more I think of Pyrrha the more I find myself thinking of ways to show her just how amazing and special she is to me, a few small ideas come and go but nothing seems to stick. Before finally the perfect idea dawns on me, a picnic.

As the minutes pass more and more pieces start to fall into place, and after fifteen minutes or so pass I think have everything figured out. Going over my plans once more out loud, mumbling it to myself as I do my cleans. "So when i'm finished here i'll go get some food for the two of us and then i'll surprise Pyrrha and make her day-" The sight of Pyrrha's reflection in the mirror next to me makes me jump, nearly throwing the weight at the wall in front of me in the process. "Hello~ Jaune!" She says giggling, wrapping me in a tight hug from behind, immediately causing my face to feel warm. "I figured i'd find you in here, with your new training regiment and all." She continues as I turn to face her, reciprocating the hug.

"Well you were right haha, when I left you were still asleep so I didn't want to wake you." I place a gentle kiss on her cheek, since we've started dating i've started to feel more comfortable with being affectionate. Thankfully the gesture doesn't seem unwanted and instead is met with a blush and a happy giggle, giving me the confidence to try and take things a step further. Gently I cup Pyrrha's face in my hands, staring deeply into her beautiful green eyes. My heart is beating out of my chest, the loud thumping so loud that it is near defining. I take a long shaky breath closing my eyes before I lean in and press our lips together, as we connect the smell and taste of her morning tea fills my senses overpowering everything else. After a minute or so we break apart, my smile disappearing as my insecurities start to make an unfortunate reappearance. "Sorry... that wasn't-" My apology is cut short by another kiss, this time one Pyrrha starts.

Caught by surprise I fall back against the weight rack, using it to support myself while simultaneously wrapping my arms around her lower back. The rest of the world seems to fade away and the only thing that matters is Pyrrha. Our kiss lasts until we are forced to part from lack of oxygen, leaving Pyrrha leaning into my chest while we both pant loudly trying to catch our breath. I look down to Pyrrha, an involuntary smile starting to cover my face. The room falls silent, the two of us looking at each other and smiling before Pyrrha speaks up. "So are you about about done here Jaune, or are you going to make me wait?" Her tone is soft and sweet, and I can feel it starting to drive me crazy. "Yeah I think I'm about done here, actually I had an idea for something the two of us could do today. If you're interested that is, I was thinking about having a picnic." Pyrrha's face lights up at my offer, and she nods excitedly. I offer her my arm, which she happily accepts and together the two of us leave the weight room.

When we step outside into the now much brighter morning, I check my scroll seeing that's it's half past seven. Considering it was probably around six o'clock when I left, It's safe to say that I got enough of my workout done for today. The two of us continue our walk, exchanging some small talk as we go before we get back to the dorm room. After climbing the stairs we reach the door, which I unlock and hold open for Pyrrha. She enters first with me following close behind, the room is empty apart from a very relaxed Nora asleep on her bed across the room. Meaning that Ren is probably somewhere nearby as well. Since the break started the two of them have been spending more and more time together, which is saying something considering how much time they already spent together.

Though with most of team RWBY gone as well as Jason, things have been pretty quiet around campus. "Well i'm going to take a shower then we can go, i'll only be a minute." I say to Pyrrha with a smile, which she returns, nodding and taking a seat on my bed. I walk over to the dresser and grab a fresh set of clothes before making my way into the bathroom, I set the clothes on the counter and quickly stripping down and stepping into the shower. I put the hot water on full blast and soap myself, being sure to be thorough. The last thing I want is to stink when the two of us are out. When i'm finished I do a final rinse before grabbing a towel and drying myself, now that i'm clean I throw on my fresh clothes.

With my usual blue jeans and a simple black workout shirt now on, I unlock the bathroom door and step out into the room. As I look out over the room I notice that Ren is now in the room, seating himself next to the sleeping Nora with Pyrrha still sitting on my bed, a book in her hands. I walk over to Pyrrha, when she notices me she marks her page and puts the book down taking my outstretched hand and together the two of us leave the room headed to the cafeteria to pick up the supplies for our picnic.

 _ **There are definitely worse way I could be spending this break.**_


	28. Chapter 28: She's Dead Jim

_**Hello everyone! Short Author's note. So this chapter took longer than I expected with all the character development and planning, but I with a friend of mine who helps me edit finally got it to a place we were both happy with. Now that that is out of the way I have a really important announcement. I am changing my upload schedule again! So instead of every week on sunday, I will now upload every other sunday. Life has been what I like to call an organized shit storm lately, so with the extra week I feel it will give me the extra time I need to finish these chapters without rushing them and in my opinion keeping them from lowering in quality. I hope you understand, and thank you all so much for you reading. And as usual I'll see you guys in the next chapter. =D**_

POV: Jade Hunter

Chapter Twenty Eight: She's Dead Jim

The sun has finally set, while we sit on top of a roof across from a former White Fang safe house. Looking to my left I can see Blake intently staring at the door, waiting for any sign that the safe house is still in use. On my right is Lilith… At one time I loved her with my very being although now even though a small part of me still loves her a larger part hates her. I look back over to Blake and in a hush whisper. "Can you go over the plan one more time. The sooner we get this over with the sooner Lilith can return to her family."

 _ **Hopefully Lilith caught that hint…**_

Blake takes a short sidelong glance at me and nods before looking back toward the safe house. "Lilith is going to get the Eraser team's attention by breaking into that active safe house and stealing from them. They will assume that this is just her way of getting back at them however, it's really just to lure them out. Since their job is to hunt down any traitors, and do it quietly they'll likely follow. The fact that they have not come after her yet means they don't think she is a threat. But they probably aren't sure what she knows, meaning they may still come after her in the future. It's not uncommon for someone to leave but decide to return again after seeing fanus discrimination. Once Lilith makes trouble for them though, she will be labeled a problem and have to be dealt with."

"Blake," Lilith starts "are you sure about this, it's kinda insane." For the first time since we broke up I have to agree with Lilith but, I completely trust Blake so if she thinks we can do this I'm willing to try. "Lilith, Blake knows what she is doing, I don't know much but I do know that she was a member of the White Fang at one time so if she says this will work, it'll work."

Blake with a hint of sadness confesses, "Almost all of my life actually. I was born into the White Fang and was a part of them until a little over a year ago. As for the plan all you have to do is break in and attack the white fang members there, steal food and ammo from the safe house and get out. Make sure you don't knock them out and that they see your face, so they can tell the erasers who it was."

Lilith interrupts, starting to stand up looking as if she was about to turn and leave "Then I get a group of killers on my tail which is much worse than my current situation… I fail to see how this is better." Blake startles me by reaching out and grasping Lilith's hoodie sleeve and yanking her quietly back down into a crouched position. "I know you're scared and I know you want to go home, but this is the only way. If you fail to return they will hunt down your family and slaughter them, however if they see you 'die' then your family will be safe and you will be able to go home. This plan will work, trust me."

Lilith looks just as startled by Blake yanking her back down as I am, though the look of determination in Blake's eyes seemed to be calming to the both of us. Her plan is tricky but, this truly seems to be Lilith's only hope. Lilith gives in to Blake's _persuasion_ and crouches down in her original place next to me, waiting for what comes next. The three of us wait in silence, staring down range into the darkness, the lone building silhouetted by the faint moonlight. I watch the time pass on my scroll as we wait, twenty minutes roll by, nothing moves, then thirty still nothing. Then just before the forty minute mark the lights inside the house come on, the illumination spilling through the windows. "That's your que Lilith, go give em hell." I whisper softly to my ex as she starts her descent from the roof, with the flash of one final thumbs up she drops out of our view.

I shift my attention back to the house and watch as the shadowed figure of Lilith approaches the hideout. From where Blake and I are positioned we can clearly see the window being smashed, followed closely by shouts of surprise and the sound of a loud struggle. The door suddenly swings open, slamming into the wall with a loud thud as Lilith runs through. She sprints out at full speed her arms filled with boxes of stolen supplies, a few even dropping to the ground as she goes. "Well if they didn't think of her as a problem before, they definitely do now." Blake mumbles half under her breath as she stands up, I do the same and together we follow the retreating Lilith. Using a nearby ladder the two of us make it down to ground level, breaking out into a sprint to catch up.

We can see Lilith a ways off in front of us and keep running, after we've gone far enough for it to be considered safe enough to stop for a moment to regroup the two of us call out to her and she stops to let us catch up. The two of us reach her pretty quickly and pause to catch our breath, preparing ourselves for the next part of the plan. "How'd it go in there, think you got their attention? It sounded like it got rough." I ask curious as to what exactly went on once she was out of our sight.

 **Even though we aren't together anymore, she was my first love. I could never hate her, regardless of how much I want to.**

"It went fine, when I broke through the window there was a group of four of them sitting at a table playing cards. I caught them off guard and threw the table over, then the two who got up after that I put back down. I made sure they saw my face, and that they saw what I was taking. I figure that should be good enough to get their attention." I glance at Blake to see her reaction, and as usual her expression is near impossible to read. That is until she makes it obvious by looking at me and nodding, meaning that lilith did enough to be labeled a big enough problem to be eliminated. Even though Blake and I have been dating a for nearly a month now, I still can't read her. With how introverted she is I find it difficult to tell what's going on inside that pretty little head of hers. "let's get going, we need to get to the docks and start preparing for this inevitable fight." Blake speaks up, interrupting my train of thought and bringing me back into the moment.

Still half dazed I look to Blake and nod, which she acknowledges and turns back to Lilith. "Make sure you leave a decent trail, nothing too obvious but enough for them to know where you went. Some scattered supplies, a knocked over trash can, if you really want to commit you could even make them think you were injured and leave some blood around." She pauses, seeing the uncomfortable look on Lilith's face. "But just make sure it's noticeable." Lilith grabs a few boxes of assorted supplies and chucks them out over the road. "Can do boss, i'll be sure to scatter as we go." Black stares blankly at Lilith but says nothing before giving a slight nod and turning to walk down the road towards the docks.

 _ **Something's bothering her…**_

Lilith turns to look at me, her expression a mixture of confusion and what I suspect to be fear. "Whats up with her?" She questions as we walk after Blake, I shake my head. "I don't know, but I plan to find out." I increase my pace so that I can catch up to Blake and walk at her side, she's still walking but quick enough to where I have to jog slightly to keep up. "What's wrong Blake? I mean I know Lilith is a pain but even I wouldn't say she's that bad." I joke, trying to lighten the mood a bit but it seems to miss it's mark. "Jade this isn't the time to be making jokes, Lilith is in serious trouble here!" She snaps at me with a harshness I haven't heard from her before, she's obviously angered by my failed joke. The glare of her amber eyes cuts through me, making me feel like an ass for joking around. Ashamed, I look away from her and stare straight forward while I speak. "I know i'm sorry… It was in bad taste, I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit. Something's obviously bothering you, do you wanna talk about it?"

I sneak a timid glance back at Blake and notice her looking back to Lilith, who seems to be hanging back to give us our privacy. Being careful to avoid Blake's gaze I go back to looking straight ahead and listen for her reply. After a long pause and a loud sigh Blake finally speaks. "I'm sorry too Jade, it isn't your fault. I'm just on edge right now is all, my plan could go horribly wrong and if Lilith got hurt because of me i'd feel awful. That puts a lot of pressure on me… and well there's a reason I haven't told you about a lot of my past. I used be a part of the White Fang Jade, for most of my life actually. I managed to get away from that life and get into Beacon, but now that i'm dealing with them again… It's really hitting me hard emotionally." I had my own thoughts of what Blake's life may have been before I had met her, but the reality is so much different than even that most outlandish thoughts I had.

Silence hangs in the air as the two of us walk side by side, avoiding each other eyes. "I can't say I guessed the White Fang, but I figured there was a good reason you didn't want to talk about your past. But now that I know… it makes sense, and i'm sorry for dragging you into a situation that brings up bad memories from your past. Especially considering how hard you had to work to get away from that life in the first place." Much to my surprise Blake grabs me and pulls me in for a tight hug. "It wasn't your fault Jade, if anything it's mine for not telling you. I was scared of what you might think if you knew what I used to be...I…I was afraid of losing you Jade." Blake rests her head on my shoulder and I can feel her trembling in my arms. Seeing Blake show her emotions openly like this is strange, but I could definitely get used to it. "I hate to interrupt your moment but you know, the squad of killers hunting me kinda has me on edge."

 _ **Damnit Lilith…**_

Blake shoots up and separates herself from me, obviously embarrassed by Lilith seeing her so vulnerable. "Lilith's right we should get going. We aren't far from the docks now it's just up ahead." I try to take Blake's hand, to comfort her, to pull her back to me and show her how much I care about her, but I can't and she breaks away and leaves me standing alone with Lilith. I shoot a look to Lilith showing my annoyance before I start to follow after Blake, trying my best to keep up with her now increased pace. After another five or so minutes of jogging we reach the docks. The area laid out in front of us is a large open rectangle shaped loading area with storage containers stacked in precise configurations off to our right, forming a makeshift wall that blocks the other half of the loading dock from having access to the water.

To our left is a two story office building that somewhat resembles the dorms at Beacon with a zigzagging staircase leading up the side to provide access to the roof. The whole compound is surrounded by a chainlink fence leaving only one entrance, the one were standing in. I look to Blake who's standing just past the gate examining the office building, _Gambol Shroud_ in her hands. "Jade you get on top of that building and stay hidden. Don't reveal yourself unless you absolutely have to. Lilith and I are going to stay down here and wait for the eraser team." I nod and unsling _Jaded Sarcasm,_ the bow variation of my weapon from my shoulder. I make a quick dash for the staircase, channeling my semblance into my weapon as I do. Which creates the bowstring and automatically notches a spectral arrow onto it. I reach the roof and find myself a place to hide, hunkering down behind an AC unit that gives me enough cover so that i'm completely hidden but I can still peek over and keep an eye on things. I settle into my cover and wait, watching Blake and Lilith while I do.

They seemed to appear out of nowhere, almost materializing in front of Blake and Lilith. The three man eraser team stand in front of my friends with their weapons drawn, but make no attempt to advance towards them. The three of them stand side by side with a few feet distance between each. The man in the middle (which I assume to be the leader.) Stands about a foot taller and is more muscular when compared to the other two. From my lookout on the roof I can faintly make out a conversation between the two sides, and based on the hand movements and body languages the leader of the Eraser team is the one doing the talking. "So Belladonna, you're behind this. Figures as much, I doubt Lilith of all people would be able to pull this off on her own." He shifts his weight and points at Blake accusingly, his voice raising with his anger. "I'm gonna make you pay for your betrayal, but only after you've watched your little friend here suffer for hers." He raises his weapon which appears to be a great sword above his head and charges at Blake, he's lackeys close behind.

Blake easily parries the barbaric attack, forcing the tip of his weapon into the ground before delivering a hard kick to the chest. The first kick is followed up immediately with another roundhouse to the head, leaving the would be attacker staggered but still standing. Blake rolls backwards leaving a shadow clone in her place, which the two henchmen fall for, slashing savagely only to hit nothing but air. Their mistake costs them as Blake attacks again, unloading a few dust rounds into the closest enemy's chest sending him flying. Even with aura protecting him, he won't be getting up for a while. Which leaves the two of them with one less enemy to deal with. Though unfortunately the bit of breathing room Blake earned is short lived, the squad leader being already back on the offensive.

Only this time Blake doesn't have time to parry and she is knocked off balance, leaving her exposed. I watch helplessly as the attack connects, the blunt side of his sword smashing into her ribs. It takes all the self control I can muster to stay down and not give myself away, only being able to watch helplessly as my girlfriend fights. The blow leaves Blake stunned, most likely from the pain of the impact but thankfully Lilith comes to the rescue. She dashes forward striking quickly with her tomahawk, landing a direct hit on the enemy leader's shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon and cry out in pain. Blake and Lilith both retreat away from their wounded foes, with Blake still holding her ribs. After they gain a bit of ground Blake stops and yells to Lilith. "Lilith run, i'll take care of them from here." Lilith hesitates but keeps running, following Blake's commands.

 _ **That's my que...**_

I stand up from my hiding spot and draw back my bow string, watching as the spectral arrow glows red from the dust infused inside it. Taking careful aim before I let it fly, sending it soaring across the compound before it connects with its target, a set of oil drums a few feet behind Lilith. The oil ignites creating a massive fireball that engulfs the area in flames and smoke, surprising the White Fang thugs as they try to gather themselves. Going along with the plan Blake turns to look at the flames, screaming Lilith's name. When there is no response I can hear her crying, her performance is quite convincing. With their target seemingly eliminated the eraser squad's leader gains his confident tone back, despite his team's condition. "In the end all it took was a little oil and a spark to take that weak bitch out, could have saved ourselves some trouble… You'll have to deal with the fact that her death was your fault Belladonna, it's not quite the suffering I wanted but it'll do till I can kill you myself. Next time you won't be so lucky, even with Ozpin at your back." And with that the leader and his injured team retreat, disappearing into the darkness.

As the sun starts to rise and burn away the darkness, Blake, Lilith and I stand at the Vale airship dock waiting for Lilith's ship to arrive. After the fight last night was said and done the three of us got together and made the trip back into the main district of Vale, Blake's ribs are injured but to what extent we aren't sure. Lilith got some minor burns as well from the explosion but considering what could have happened she got off easy. The airship comes into view and slowly starts to dock.

 _ **This should be the easiest goodbye, but somehow it's still the hardest….**_

"I'll give you guys a moment." Blake says as she slowly walks away with what could only be a tear in her eye. "Lilith," I start. "It's time for you to go home." "Wait!" Lilith interrupts. I put a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her. "No Lilith, you have to go home. What we had is over. I never truly got over you until I met Blake. I'm glad you came to me for help, and that we were able to help you but this needs to be the end. I'm also sorry if what I'm saying hurts you but…" I take a breath and collect my thoughts as Lilith starts to cry. "Lilith, I'll always love you. You were my first love, but after what you did we could never go back to what we were. I don't hate you anymore and you owe Blake for that. If not for her I wouldn't have helped you, I was angry and I didn't want to look past that. I couldn't bring myself to forgive you because it hurt me to much, but she helped me overcome that, and see what that anger was doing to me. After all this the best thing for you is to go home and be with your family, and maybe one day we can become friends again. I hope you understand." The hurt is evident on her face but she wipes her tears away as she replies.

"Your right and I'll forever regret what I did to you. Thank you for everything." Lilith goes to turn around when I toss a bag of candies, my sister's favorite candy, Zours at her. "Could you give those to Lucy for me and tell her that I'm sorry for not making it home." She cracks a thin smile. "Sure, no problem." She answers offering a half smirk and a wave as she turns and walks onto the airship.

I rush to catch up to Blake, and as I come alongside her I wrap an arm around her waist and use my free hand to wipe her tears away. "Don't worry I'm not going anywhere except to the medical ward on campus with you, we need to get your ribs checked out." Blake surprises me with a huge smile and a kiss on the cheeks as she lays her head on my shoulder. "I like the sound of that."


	29. Chapter 29: The Battle of White Rose

POV: Weiss Schnee

Chapter Twenty Nine: The Battle of White Rose

"Hey Princess are you ready for our match? I think I may even finally get to try out your gift, it's only fitting after all." Ruby's statement leaves me confused briefly while I try to figure out what the gift she's referring too is. The realization hits me when Ruby nonchalantly pats the magazine she has loaded into _Crescent Rose,_ reminding me of our first date in Vale and more importantly the specialty dust rounds I ordered to surprise her. "Oh the dust rounds I got you, I thought you had used them already?" My question causes Ruby to smile rather smugly, which makes me wonder what exactly she has planned for this match. "Well I did, but only a few test shots at the training targets. I haven't tried them against a real opponent yet. So now I guess i'm getting my chance."

Almost if on cue the referee calls out mine and Ruby's names, announcing that a ring has now opened and it's our turn for a match. Ruby jumps up and excitedly looks to me, giving me a moment to respond. "I guess so, but you're still going to lose dunce." I say intentionally putting an edge on my tone, and adding a confident smirk for good measure. Even though Ruby and I are partners, on top of being a couple, I can't let her think that i'm getting soft on her. Even when I scold her for being her hyperactive self, I don't do it to be mean just for the sake of being mean. It's more of a quick way to reset her momentum and calm her down. But if she knew that, it wouldn't be so effective. Thus defeating the purpose altogether.

I stand up from the bench and follow Ruby back down the steps to the sparing floor, the two of us hang a left and follow the fence that marks the outskirts of the other rings until we reach the open one. From the perspective of the front door, Ruby and I are competing in the back left ring on the far side of the floor. When we reach the ring, the referee opens a gate for the two of us. Waiting for us to enter before closing it behind us once more. We quickly climb the few steps that separate the rest of the floor from the slightly elevated competition floor, and make our way to our respective sides. Seeing as i'm on the far side, I take the chance to examine the arena as a whole now that I have an up close view. In the middle of the arena are the sparring rings, which are slightly higher than ground level. Surrounding the sparring rings is a fence that is about ten feet tall if I had to guess, that separated the individual rings as well as protects the spectators from potential harm.

I reach my starting position and ready myself, drawing _Myrtenaster_ and leveling it in my left hand with my right hand on my right hip. Looking across the ring, Ruby has _Crescent Rose_ held with the tip of the scythe touching the ground so that the barrel is level and aimed at me. A goofy smirk still on her face as we stare each other down. I'd be lying if I said being on the business end of her massive weapon wasn't at least slightly intimidating, but if the two of us are going to fight, i'm going to win. Noticing that the two of us are ready and waiting, the referee signals for the match to begin. Wanting to get the upper hand early, I dash to my left using a few glyphs to speed up my movement and chamber my red dust. Stopping suddenly to throw of Ruby's aim, I dash and slash with my weapon while also activating the dust cylinder. Leaving a flaming trail that leads to a large fireball at the edge of the ring. Satisfied with my attack I change to a defensive position and scan for Ruby in the flames, but catch no sight of her.

 _ **Why didn't she dodge my attack instead of just taking it head on like that. She has to be up to something.**_

A shot echoes from my back right causing me to turn just as the bullet impacts at my feet, leaving me effectively rooted in place by ice. With my range of movement limited Ruby makes her move, using her semblance to close the distance between us. I defend from the flurry of strikes well considering the circumstances, managing to keep the massive scythe at arm's length with the help of my glyphs. Getting my movement back to normal is my top priority, I parry another overhead strike from Ruby's weapon. Before using a glyph to propel the weapon farther back, and hopeful knock Ruby off balance giving me a moment to free myself. My plan works and Ruby stumbles giving me a few seconds to breath, which I take full advantage of by channeling a small amount of red dust into my weapon to generate enough heat to melt the ice that holds me in place.

My feet are freed just in time to be able to block another chain of attacks as Ruby charges again, likely getting annoyed that i'm keeping up with her. Now that my feet are free and i'm blocking her attacks with more ease, Ruby starts to change her attack pattern. Instead of attacking from one stationary position, she has started to use her semblance coupled with the recoil from firing her weapon to zip past me incredibly fast. Attacking as she does. The barrage of bullets and heavy strikes from all sides is nearly impossible to block. I manage to block one or two of her attacks until a high caliber rounds slams into my chest, my aura taking the brunt of the force but what remained is still enough to knock the wind out of me. I struggle for air, managing a few raspy breaths as I steady myself never taking my eyes off of Ruby. Who has now stopped dashing and seems to be lining up her rifle to take another shot.

 _ **I need to stay close range, if I give her distance she'll tear me to shreds.**_

On reaction, I form a glyph in front of me that successfully stops a shot from Ruby. A red dust round that ignites into a small fireball when it makes contact with the surface of my glyph, but harmlessly dissipates after a few seconds. My glyph shattering along with the flames. I make my move while Ruby is reloading, jumping towards her with _Myrtenaster_ held out in front of me in somewhat of a fencing stance. While i'm in the air I use my free hand to form another glyph below me that I land on and propel myself forward with my momentum, over the top of Ruby. I take the chance to take a few swipes at her as I fly over over. My change in tactics seems to catch Ruby slightly off guard and allows one of my attacks to land, precisely on target. The tip of my blade connects with Ruby's chest from just above her left breast, to the top of her shoulder near the base of her neck. Leaving a decent sized gash behind.

I land with a thud and turn to prepare for whatever retaliation may get thrown at me, but nothing comes. Instead I simply see Ruby standing about eight or so feet away, with _Crescent Rose_ in her hands, just looking at me. I create a glyph in front of me expecting another dust round to come flying my direction, but it doesn't happen. A few minutes go by with the two of us just watching each other, Ruby holding her injured shoulder while each of us wait for the other to make the first move. Tired of waiting I trigger _Myrtenaster's_ dust cylinder to rotate, loading light blue dust into the chamber. With the dust chamber and a semi solid plan, I put the tip of my weapon forward facing the floor and fire the dust. In a split second a large wall of ice explodes out towards Ruby. I study her closely as she rushes to form a counter of some kind, in her haste she drops the red dust round she was trying to chamber. The cartridge hits the floor with a metallic ringing sound and rolls away, leaving Ruby with no formable defence other than to jump and tumble to avoid my ice. Recovering the red dust and chambering as she does.

 _ **So she's loading the dust rounds individually, if I pick up the pace maybe I can end this…**_

Now back on her feet, ruby chambers the red tipped dust round into her weapon and lines up her shot once more. Not wanting to give her an easy target I use the ice to my advantage and get behind it as cover, I know I don't have much time so I take advantage of every available second to come up with a plan to end this match once and for all. The puzzle pieces of my plan start to fit together just in time as the ice wall behind me is riddled with shots from Ruby, putting holes the size of my fist in the solid wall. I count the shots as the punch through, racking my brain trying to remember exactly how many shots Ruby's clips holds. Settling on the number ten I continue my count, the bullets growing closer to me by the second. _Seven, eight, nine…_ I jump out from my cover using a glyph to give myself enough height to clear the barrier. I land hard with a thud but recover quickly, determined to finish this now.

With my red dust already primed, I dash to the left using my glyphs and trigger the dust creating another fireball like the one before, only this one is larger thanks to the larger amount of dust I channeled into it. Without pausing I turn, once again using glyphs to speed up my movement and rotating the cylinder on my weapon to chamber the dark purple dust related to gravity. While I make it a point to not use this particular dust often, it is quite powerful and does have it's uses as dangerous as it may be. I stop dead in my tracks and fire the dust, bracing for the kickback. The effect of the dust seems to create a ripple effect through the air itself, causing me to slide backwards a few feet.

I watch Ruby try to deal with the problem, with the help of an ice dust round she managed to extinguish the fire. But is left with no time left to get away from the effects of my gravity dust, She tries to roll but gets caught up in the effect and sent flying out of the ring. Ruby collides with the fence and falls down to the floor below, out of my view. With Ruby out of the ring the referee signals that the fight is over and announces me as the winner by ringout. I jump up and run to the edge of the floor where Ruby fell, looking down over the side I see that she has already recovered and is standing again, examining her shoulder. Ruby looks up and notices my presence, quickly gaining her all to well known ' _Pouty Face'_. "Weiss, no fair using my gravity dust tactics against me!"

Ruby's complaints draw a smile to my face, so I decide to take advantage of the decent concealment we have and lean in for a brief kiss. I pull back still smiling, leaving Ruby with a look of confusion. "If you using the dust rounds I got you is fair, me using the gravity dust against you is fair too." I say in an attempt to level the playing field, which bring back the _pouty face_. "I guess that's fair, but I still don't have to like it." I laugh and drop down to the floor, landing next to Ruby. "Come on Dolt, let's get you home so your dad can have a look at your shoulder. I'm sorry about that by the way, I didn't mean to hurt you." Glancing at her shoulder the cut isn't too deep but it is rather large and will need cleaning, along with some basic medical attention that Tia can provide. "It's ok Princess the cut isn't bad, my aura will heal it up in a couple hours."

The two of us make our way to the door, the referee opening the door again to let us out. Following our same path that we took on our way in, we follow the fences back to the front entrance. As we reach the double door that leads outside, a deep husky voice pipes up from behind us. "Well, well, well that was quite the match the two of you had back there. Needs some work though." I turn around to see a tall man in a grey and white collar shirt and black jeans, his beady red eyes focused on the two of us. I go to say something back but Ruby cuts me off before I can. "UNCLE QROW!" She shouts as she runs over to him, latching onto his arm.

 _ **Wait if he was watching… Did he see our kiss!?**_


	30. Chapter 30: 'Thank You'

POV: Jason Vidar

Chapter Thirty: 'Thank You'

"I can guarantee he wasn't expecting that." I say with a laugh as Aaron hits the ground, courtesy of a punch from Yang. Served him right as far as i'm concerned, prick is nothing but a menace, and this time he learned the hard way. I look up to see Mason giving me a look and subtly gesturing to Yang who is standing next to me, still looking down at the unconscious Aaron. I tilt my head in confusion, not really sure what he is trying to allude to. But instead of answering he just rolls his eyes and takes matters into his own hands, as usual. "Well, that's one hell of a punch you have. Nice to meet you, i'm Mason."

 _ **Oh so that's what he was going for…**_

Yang turns her attention from Aaron to Mason and looks him over, before introducing herself and subtly glancing at me. I pick up on her que and add a little more detail to Mason's introduction, walking next to Mason and draping my arm over his shoulders as I do. "Mason and I have been friends ever since we met in, what was it like ninth grade right? The two of us met in school and started hunting together not to long after that, we've been friends for almost six years now. Plus he is really good with weapons like seriously good, he even helped me work out the kinks in _Forest Caliber_." Yang cracks a smile when I bring up Mason's ability with weapons. "I bet him and Ruby would get along great then, she's always been a weapon nut ever since our uncle Qrow first helped her build _Crescent Rose_." Mason smiles. "Well maybe someday i'll get to meet her and we can talk weapons, speaking of which you use a shotgun gauntlet combination right? I remember Jade mentioning something about that, she also mentioned something about you using them to kick Jason's ass."

Unamused, I give Mason a good smack on the back of the head. Though the effect seems to be lost as he and Yang are already giggling together at my expense, Mason always was good at annoying me. "Laugh all you want, but we'll see how long it lasts after you get blasted in the chest from point blank range. See if you can breath, let alone laugh." Yang notices my annoyance and walks over to me, planting a kiss on my cheek. "I did kinda kick your ass." She says with a laugh but instead of being annoyed I can't help but smile at how cute she is, and even start to chuckle myself. "Yeah ok I guess that's fair, but in the end I still win. I did end up dating you because of that ass kicking after all, so i'm not afraid to admit that I lost that one." I smile and give a wink to Yang, it's a little more corny than I normal for me but it's worth it to see the look on her face. A subtle blush has turned her cheeks to the color of roses, accompanied by a radiant smile that makes my heart beat a little faster in my chest.

"Dear god who are you, and what did you do with the real Jason. I swear that's the cheesiest thing i've ever heard come out of your mouth dude." Mason breaks the silence in a spectacularly annoying way, as usual. I glare at him but he shrugs it off unaffected, showing the immunity that to two of us have developed to each others annoyances over the years. "Oh come on Mason, give him a break, I thought it was cute." Mason chuckles. "Well yeah, that's why he said it. Anyway genius." He pauses mid sentence, gesturing to me. "Are you gonna ask her some time soon or aren't yah? We don't really have all day it's almost ten as it is, I wanna be out there by eleven." I look back to Yang who is giving me a understandable look of confusion, trying to figure out what Mason is talking about. "Oh yeah, Mason was telling me that he was planning on going hunting today and was nice enough to invite us. We were on our way out here to talk to you about it when jackass interrupted. So what do you think firecracker, you up for it?"

"Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun. But I don't really know how to hunt, so you'll have to teach me Jason." She says with a wink before turning to Mason. "And thank you for inviting us Mason, that is very kind of you." Mason spread his arms out to full length and shrugs. "Eh what can I say, I got a soft spot. But we should get going, we still gotta stop by my house and get our rifles. Jason I think you left yours in my safe before you left, right?" I nod. "Yeah I left two of mine and some ammo, along with some other shit if I remember right. Should be plenty there for the three of us." Mason nods and starts to head down the street, I turn to take Yang's hand but a sudden thought causes me to pause for a moment.

 _ **Is Yang really gonna enjoy this, or just act like it to make me happy?**_

I do my best to dismiss the thought as just my insecurities, but hard as I try I can't seem to get rid of the feeling. And eventually decide it best to casually slip it into conversation when an opportunity arises. With my internal conflict sorted for the time being, I turn and offer my left hand to Yang. Which she accepts and the two of us break into a slight jog to catch up to Mason, now the three of us walk side by side with Mason to my right and Yang to my left. I can also hear Gore from somewhere behind us as usual, though something is different this time. He must have run off somewhere considering his late appearance, he is more comfortable around town and probably got distracted by an animal or a scent of something. Figures. The four of us walk back to the main road and take a left, following the same path Yang and I just came from a little while before only in the other direction. We follow the makeshift trail for a few minutes before coming to another path that breaks off from the original one, and instead of leading back to the school instead heads off to the right into a tree line.

We follow the new path down a slight decline and into the tree's, Mason's house becoming visible as we do. His house is smaller than my own, only being one story rather than two and a simple light blue paint job. A short white wooden fence also surrounds the perimeter of the house But considering it's only him and his dad, they don't really need much else. When we reach the fence line, Mason takes the lead and motions for Yang and I to follow him. Instead of going inside the house like I expected, Mason instead takes a left and leads us to a sizeable brown shed on the side of the house that I don't remember. He then pulls the door open and holds it for us to walk inside, though I pause for a moment in the door frame to tell Gore to wait for us here. Which he does happily, deciding to lay in the grass and look off into the trees past the fence. I turn back around and head into the shed with Mason close behind. This inside of the shed is very simple, just being the look of the bare wood that was used to construct it.

There is one small window about shoulder height at the far wall opposite the door, and on the left hand wall is a large green double door locker with a hefty pad lock securing it. To the right is a long work bench that takes up a large portion of the wall, leaving only a small gap where some clothes are hanging from a rod that spans the ceiling almost like a makeshift closet. As I examine the shed my curiosity gets the best of me. "Hey Mason, didn't you used to all your hunting stuff in the house, when did you get this?" I turn to face my friend and see that he is unlocking the weapons cabinet, but leaving the doors closed. "Well, it wasn't too long after you left actually. Maybe a week or two. My dad decided he was tired of having his office cluttered, so he built this and gave me the keys." He looks at me, sporting a proud smile before turning and placing the open lock on the workbench.

"It's pretty great… Just a thought but uh, I think it might be a good idea to change into something less, visible if I were you. There's some clothes on the rack over there, help yourselves. My clothes are inside, i'll leave you guys to get changed and meet you back here in a few minutes." Yang and I give a nod of acknowledgement and Mason turns to leave, closing the door behind him. When he's gone I turn back around and make my way over to the clothing rack, sifting through what we've got. While Yang, decides to have a look around. Even though the pickings are rather slim, I manage to find full outfits for both myself and Yang. For myself I find a pair of old camo jeans and a heavy jacket to match, and for Yang a pair of camo sweats and a jacket that is slightly too big for her. But with the circumstances i'm sure it'll work nicely, with the clothes in hand I turn to face Yang who is admiring the guns in the cabinet. "I found us some clothes to wear Firecracker, the jacket might be a bit big but it should work for you." She turns her attention away from the cabinet and looks to me with a radiant smile. "I'm sure it's fine Jason, thank you."

I place Yang's set of clothes down on the workbench and start to head towards the door, deciding to change so she can be alone. Before I reach the door Yang calls out and stops me. "Where are you going Jason, don't you have to change too?" I turn to face her and shrug my shoulders. "Yeah but I figured i'd just go change outside so that you could have your privacy, it won't take long anyway. Better me than you anyway." I smirk but Yang doesn't seem very amused. "Just change in here with me so you don't have to go out in the cold, i'm your girlfriend after all. You don't have to be embarrassed to undress in front of me." Yang winks at me before grabbing her clothes from the workbench, making quick work of undressing. I do the same and after a few minutes the two of us are fully changed into our new hunting clothes. "You look really good in green Firecracker, I think I could get used to seeing you like this." I say, my usual laid back tone filled with enthusiasm. Which seems to work judging by the slight blush that covers her face, accompanied by a bright smile. "Thanks, these clothes are surprisingly comfortable. But you were right the jackets a little long in the arms." Yang lifts her arms up to show that even fully outstretched, the sleeves still cover her hands. I chuckle. "Well atleast you don't have to worry about your hands getting cold, so that's a plus."

My comment earns a giggle, which brings a smile to my face. But as I look at Yang I notice that I forgot something, walking over to the workbench I find what I was looking for. I pick up an orange beanie and hand it over to Yang. "I almost forgot, put that on, we gotta wear orange so that other hunters don't mistake us for animals." Yang says nothing but puts the cap on, with that little detail taken care of I turn back to the gun locker. I open up the locker, being greeted by the sight of four rifles lined up in a neat row with the barrels pointed upwards. I scan the four rifles, looking for one in particular among them. I find the rifle I was looking for, and take it out of the cabinet for a closer inspection. I inspect the .308 rifle seeing it's exactly how I left it, and make a quick adjustment to the scope before pulling the bolt back.

 _ **Still smooth as ever, Mason's taken good care of it while I was gone…**_

The rifle really isn't anything to special but it holds a lot of sentimental value, considering it was the rifle my grandfather taught me to hunt with. I put the bolt forward, closing the chamber and turning to Yang and hand her the rifle. "This rifle is pretty different from your gauntlets, it's old school and doesn't have nearly as much kick to it. So, you should be able to handle it no problem. That being said you will have to aim very carefully to take down deer. It's pretty easy to use too, see that?" I pause and point to the bolt, Yang nods and takes hold of the bolt handle. "That's pretty much the only thing you need to remember, I can take care of everything else. Just lift the bolt handle there so that it points upwards and pull all the way back, then push it forward and lock it back in place." As I explain, Yang follows my instructions and practices with the bolt. Surprisingly well for her first time, but with a sister like Ruby she's more than likely done this before. While she practices, I turn back to the cabinet and grab a box of rounds from the shelf along the bottom.

Yang hands the rifle back to me, and I pull back the bolt to load it. As I do, I can hear a knock at the door before it opens. Only assuming that it's Mason I greet him without having to turn around. "Took you long enough Mason, I was starting to think you got lost on your way." My tone full of sarcasm as usual. "I didn't take that long quite your whining, you guys ready to go?" Mason fires back, I push the bolt of the rifle forward chambering one of the newly loaded rounds. "Yep, here Firecracker take this." I say as I hand the rifle back to her, a smile on my face. "Were gonna get you a deer today."

"In the clearing straight ahead, about two hundred meters. Four point buck, i'd say it's worth the shot." Mason whispers as the three of us sit in the deerstand, almost completely motionless. The three of us have been sitting here for almost three hours at this point, the cold wind blowing through the trees. Mason is to my right with a pair of rangefinders, acting as our spotter. And Yang is sitting in my lap with my rifle in her hands, looking down range. "You see him Firecracker?" I whisper in Yang's ear, and to keep with the theme of being quiet she nods instead of answering verbally. With my right arm I reach up the stock of the rifle and turn off the safety, a small metallic click confirming that it's off. "Whenever you're ready." Complete silence takes over for a few moments before being shattered by the sound of the rifle firing, as expected Yang handles the rifle's recoil extremely well and doesn't flinch in the slightest when the shot goes off. Unable to see the deer clearly for myself I look to Mason. "He dropped like a rock, hell of a shot Yang." I take advantage of where i'm sitting and wrap Yang in a strong hug from behind, with my head on her left shoulder. "Good shot Firecracker, let's go get him."

I plant a quick kiss on her cheek and the two of us stand up, the cold wood of the deer stand creaking with our movement. Yang hands the rifle back to me and I pull back the bolt, collecting the spent cartridge before switching the safety back on. I put the cartridge in a zipper pocket in my jacket with plans for it later and sling the rifle over my right shoulder. Mason and I start to make our way to the ladder down from the tree with Yang far out in front, already on the ground excitedly waiting for the two of us. I elect to ignore the ladder entirely, jumping down and landing hard but managing to stay on my feet. Mason does the same and the three of us lightly jog through the trees to check out Yang's buck, at our current pace we cover the distance quite quickly and before long are standing over the dead deer. Yang's shot was near perfect, straight through the spinal column high on the neck, it didn't even know what hit him. Between the cold, and rain starting to come down we work quickly. Taking a few pictures of Yang with her trophy before Mason and I gut it and get it wrapped in a tarp to make it cleaner to carry. I look at Yang again, happy to see that her proud smile hasn't left as she watches us work. Though as I smile back my thought from earlier comes back to bother me again.

 _ **Is she really enjoying this?**_

A battle starts to break out inside my head, between my logic and my insecurities and both are fighting for control. My logic telling me that her smile is genuine and she's having a great time, but at the same time my insecurities undermine everything telling me it's just a show to keep me happy. The two sides just keep battling back and forth tearing me apart from the inside, so much so that my head is starting to hurt. And i'm sure the cold rain isn't helping. I don't even realize that i've spaced out entirely until Mason's voice bring me back to reality. "Hey you ok buddy? You spaced out, it's not like it's out of character for you but still." Not wanting to risk speaking at the moment I just nod with a half smile before bending over and picking up the deer, draping it over my shoulders to distribute the weight evenly. Mason gives me a strange look but says nothing and starts walking up the hill, leaving Yang and I to follow behind. The rain has started turning the soft soil to watery mud, making walking up the hill with the heavy deer on my back all the more difficult.

Aside from a few slips, and a fall or two I manage to make it up the hill and back to Mason's house without to much of an issue. By the time I get there my legs are shot from the incline and my shoulders are aching, though I refuse to let it show. "You know I just realized, what the hell are we gonna do with this meat. I really don't feel like going through the effort to process it myself." I say rather loud to be heard over the rain. Mason nods in agreement. "Yeah neither do I, I'll just drop it at the butcher shop tomorrow. For now you can just put it in the shed, it'll be ok in there for the night." I nod and head over to the shed, opening the door with my foot before setting the deer down on the workbench. After making sure the tarp is still wrapped tightly, I turn to leave, being greeted by Gore sitting in the doorway. "Hey buddy, did you do ok while we were gone?" I walk over and crouch down in front of him, scratching him behind his wet ears. But the moment doesn't last long before he backs away and tilts his head at me, he never did like lots of attention. Well from me at least, I laugh and stand up to walk past him. "I bet if I was Yang you'd let me pet you." I tease my companion and walk back out into the cold rain, with him following behind.

The two of us go around to the front of the house meeting up with Yang and Mason on the front porch. "Ok I put him down on the workbench in there, is that ok?" I question Mason when I'm within earshot. "Yeah that's where I wanted it, thanks." He stops and looks out over the front yard, seemingly focusing on the rain that's falling pretty heavily now. "Well that was fun, it's always better to have some company when I go hunting. Yang it was great to meet you, Jason thanks for bringing someone interesting with you for once." I fake a laugh and Yang chuckles but Masons smile quickly turns back to a more serious look. "But in all seriousness, I'm glad to see you getting back to your old self." He smiles and gestures towards Yang, who's standing on my right. "And I have to say I think she's helped a lot." I smirk and the two of us share a quick bro hug for a minute or so before separating. He gives Yang a proper hug as well, and turns to go in the house. Yelling one final taunt as he does. "Take good care of him Yang, god knows he can't do it himself."

I shake my head and turn to Yang, offering my hand. As our hands connect I notice how much warmer hers are compared to mine, probably thanks to the long sleeves of the sweat shirt. The two of us step off the porch with Gore behind, following the same path that we took earlier to get back into town. Neither of us say much as we walk through the cold rain, simply holding hands and enjoying each other's company. Yang's aura produces some warmth which keeps her comfortable, I on the other hand am left to brace the cold with only my jacket. I'm not complaining though, I don't even really notice the cold at all. I just find myself looking at her and smiling, proud of how easily she took down her first deer. After about ten or so minutes of walking we get back to main street, the dirt path turning into a paved sidewalk. We walk back to the end of the road, and turn right down the side street that leads back to my house. The gravel paved side street is quiet, and because of the rain the whole town seems to have been forced inside. The gravel crunches and shifts under our feet as Yang and I reach the front porch of my house, quickly climbing the short steps to get out of the rain. Now that i'm out of the rain the cold I had been ignoring reappears suddenly, causing me to shiver.

 _ **I've been gone too long, lost my tolerance for the cold…**_

I roll my shoulders and make my way to the front door, testing the handle I find that it's unlocked as usual and the three of us step inside. I'm surprised to see the living room is dark aside from one ray of light coming from the kitchen, upstairs is dark as well making me wonder if anyone is even home. "Mom, Dad?" I call out, but after a minute passes with no reply it's obvious the house is empty. "Wonder where they went." I say to no one in particular, and move past the couch towards the kitchen. Though I stop before I get there, turning to talk to Yang who is still standing at the base of the stairs. "Well I don't know where they went, but if you wanna go take a shower the bathroom is the second door on the left upstairs. You don't have to though, just a thought." I smile at her and wait for her answer, which comes not too long after I pose the question. "I could go for a shower about now, i'm all sweaty and covered in mud anyway. Where should I put these clothes?" Yang questions, already starting to climb the steps. "There should be a laundry basket in my room, go ahead and throw em in there. I'll make sure they get cleaned." Yang nods and starts to climb the stairs, but as I watch her climb I call out to her causing her to pause and question. "I love you Firecracker, I feel like I haven't said that enough over the last few days." Even in the dimly lit living room I can still see Yang's smile. "I love you too Jason. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you say that." With another smile and a faint blush, Yang turns and climbs the few remaining stairs.

I stand there for a moment just staring at the stairs where Yang just was, zoned out again. Gore notices and brings me back to reality by bumping my legs with his head, nearly knocking me over with his weight in the process. "What, i'm fine." I say, giving him a scratch on the head. But he doesn't buy it and tilts his head at me, followed by him making a low grumble. "Don't give me that Gore, go lie down somewhere why don't yah." Without hesitation Gore follows through on my suggestion, hopping onto the couch he normally isn't allowed on and laying down. Being sure to make himself more than comfortable. Instead of trying to fight him, I just shake my head and walk into the kitchen to see if my parents left a note or something behind before they left. My hunch being proven right, when I see a note written in my mother's handwriting sitting in the middle of the table. _Jason, your father and I went out to visit with some friends down at the community center this afternoon. We should be home around seven, but just in case I put some food in the fridge for the two of you should we happen to run late. We love you!_

 _ **So that's where they went, figures. Well atleast Yang and I can have some alone time…**_

I fold the note over and place it back on the table where it was before heading back into the livingroom. Gore, unsurprisingly is half asleep on the couch and doesn't even bother lifting his head as I got up the stairs. When I reach the second floor landing I can hear the water running, meaning that Yang is still showering. I walk down the hall to my room, opening the door and using my boots as a wedge to keep it that way. I take off my wet jacket and hang it from the door knob before throwing myself on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. After all the fatigue of today, as fun as some of it was, I'm more than ready to just lay her for the rest of the afternoon. The sound of the water running in the only thing I can hear in the house, at least until it's turned off and only silence is left. I decide to stand up from the bed as staring at the ceiling isn't helping, and instead heading over to my weight rack. I've noticed that my head seems to be clearer during and after a workout, so knocking out a few quick reps should help me prepare for the serious conversation to come. Since the bar is already set I just lay down and go, the weight is a little lighter than it should be but, considering the circumstances it doesn't really matter. Before I know it i've already done three sets of fifteen, but there is still no sign of Yang who should have been out of the bathroom by now. I rack the weight and stand up to investigate. Stepping out into the hall I can see that the bathroom door is still closed, and I can hear Yang's muffled voice coming from the other side.

 _ **Huh, must be on the phone or something.**_

With that mystery solved I simply turn back around and take a seat on my bed to wait for her, thinking more on what to say as I do. After a while the I can hear the bathroom door open, followed by Yang appearing in the doorway to my room not too long after that. She's changed into something more comfortable, replacing the ill fitting camouflage clothes with a simple pair of black sweats and yellow tank top with her blazing heart emblem in the middle. As usual she looks great, just the sight of her making my heart beat faster than usual. Out of curiosity I consider asking about her about her phone call, but something about her expression tells me that wouldn't be a good idea. So I take the less direct route instead. "Everything alright Firecracker? You look a little upset." I question as she stands in the doorway. My question is just met with a sigh before she walks over to my bed to sit with me, causing me to quickly shift backwards so that I can sit with my back against the wall. Yang follows and curls herself up in my lap with her head on my left shoulder, I wrap my left arm around the middle of her back while my right hand is resting on the upper part of her leg. "It's just my dad being my dad is all, i'll tell you about it later." Her answer leaves me with more questions than it solved, but her tone tells me it's best to not push further. She'll tell me about whatever it is in due time. Not being quite sure how to transition from that to a new topic, I give it a bit before I try.

I spend our quite moment together trying to get my scattered thoughts in order, attempting to find some way to make them make sense to anyone but myself. I've never been good at dealing with emotions, my transfer to Beacon being a testament to that. But the more time I spend trying to arrange my thoughts, the more I start to realize how pointless the crusade truly is. Planning has never been my strong suit, my best ideas have always come from thinking on the fly and acting accordingly. There is no point to putting it off any longer, it's simply time to bite the bullet. "Hey Firecracker?" My question brings Yang's head up from where it was resting on my chest, bringing her beautiful lilac irises up to meet my own. She looks at me, a questioning look on her face. With the first step complete and no way out, I finally get the mental kick in the ass I needed to get this done. "I wanted to talk to you about something, it's been bothering me since we got here actually." Yang shifts herself so that she's sitting upright in my lap, her knees on either side on my thighs. "Is it something about your memories before Beacon?" The worry in her voice is clear, making me think there were better ways to approach this. "No, no that isn't the problem. I'm actually surprised by how good this trip has gone so far, the incident on our walk today aside. No my problem is actually related to you, I feel kinda guilty in honesty about all this." Yang tries to offer a reply but before she can speak I gently press a finger to her lips, stopping her cold in her tracks. "Please, let me explain first ok?" Yang settles herself in my lap and nods, waiting for me to continue.

"It's nothing that you did, this is all a fabrication from my own thoughts and insecurities. But I can't put it out of my head, this constant feeling that I… I don't know how to put it into words really. I just can't help but feel guilty for putting you through all this crap, that you shouldn't have to deal with. You could have very easily just gone home with your sister for vacation, had a great time and gotten to see your own family. But instead you're here with me, dealing with all my emotional turmoil. It just feels like i'm pushing you into things that you may not want to do, but you do them to make me happy. Not just with coming here but with everything, I don't know. I just don't want you to think you have to do anything because of me. Yah know?..." I let my sentence trail off, having gotten to everything I wanted to say all that's left is to wait for Yang's reply. Though instead i'm surprised by Yang grabbing the collar of my shirt, pulling me in for a kiss. The sudden advance catches me so off guard that when Yang pulls back and lets go of my shirt, I fall back into the wall behind me. Panting slightly to catch my breath I lean against the wall, looking up again just in time to get hit on my left cheek by Yang's hand. The slap is hard enough to get my attention, but it's obvious she was holding back enough to not leave a mark. Mission accomplished either way... "Jason, i'll keep this short." As she speaks she gently runs her hand over the spot she slapped, possibly checking that she didn't actually leave a mark.

"I love you Jason, and you should know by now that if I want to do something i'm going to do it. Nothing you've said or done could have or would have changed that, I came here with you because I knew this trip was going to hurt you. And I wanted to be there to support you when that happened, to make sure you had someone you could count on when you needed it most. And in return i've had a great time meeting your family and friends, learning more about you and your life aside from me. Even hunting, as common as it seems to you is something that I got to experience because I came here. You don't have to feel guilty Jason, because i'm having a great time on this trip and I don't think anything will ever make me regret coming here." It's clear she meant every word, her smile just adding another layer of reassurance as she looks into my eyes. A wave of relief crashes over me and I don't quite know how to deal with it, tears start to swell up behind my eyes now that this tremendous pressure is lifted. Not being quite sure what to say I just say what pops into my head. "I'm not the best at explaining how I feel, so this may be a little flat. But I can honestly say, I don't think I ever have or ever will love anyone more than I love you." It isn't much but compared to how reserved I usually am, I think it's definitely a step in the right direction. And judging by the smile on Yang's face I think she would agree.

With absolutely no idea what to say next I just sit there looking at Yang's beautiful smile, my own usual smirk finally making it's triumphant return after a long break. I shift my weight forward to be able to lean in and kiss my amazing girlfriend when a clever thought pops into my head, one I hope Yang will be ok with. When we break apart after the short kiss I decide to give it a shot. "Hey Firecracker." I whisper into her ear, earning a questioning nod. "There's something I want to do for you, to say thank you. Are you up for it?" Again she nods, this time more enthusiastically almost as if she sees where I'm going with this 'Thank you'. "Ok, just tell me if I go too far." in one fluent motion I use a portion of my strength to move Yang over, positioning her in such a way that she lands on the pile of pillows at the foot of the bed. While at the same time placing myself above her, our faces a Mere inch apart before diving in for another kiss. This one is long and slow, with momentary separations for air. As the kiss progresses I start to trail my tongue along Yang's top lip, asking for entrance, which she grants. Our two wet muscles fighting for dominion of the small space only deepens the kiss, so much so it's starting to drive me a little crazy. In an effort to keep control of myself I pull back, my breathing ragged. With Yang fully at my mercy I start to tease her, planting light kisses all the way down her neck to the edge of her shoulder and back again. Working my way all the way back up to her earlobe, nibbling gently when I reach it. My plan seems to have the desired effect, I can feel her heart start to beat faster in her chest and accompanied by her breathing becoming more ragged. Something about Yang's panting lights a fire inside me, I don't quite understand why but I love the sound of it. And I want to keep it going. I shift my weight, adjusting myself so that one of my knees is in between Yang's legs and the other off farther to the left. I rear back slightly, suddenly feeling quite warm I decide to take my shirt off. Tossing it somewhere off to my left before going back to Yang. I start to lean in for another kiss but I'm surprised when she stops me.

 _ **Shit, did I do something wrong…**_

"What, getting undressed without me? Be a gentleman and help me get my shirt off at least." Her tone and the smirk that accompanies it makes my heart skip a beat. I let out a shaky breath and take hold of the yellow tank top, Yang raises her arms and I lift the shirt off. Leaving nothing but the lacey sheer black bra that lies underneath. I lean back in, starting at her lips and working my way down with a string of soft, short kisses. From her lips I work down to her neck, taking the opportunity for one last nip of her earlobe that makes her jump slightly. My smile widens and I continue to move lower, leaving a trail of kisses as I do. By the time I reach her stomach her breathing has become even more ragged and shallow, my heart is pounding so loudly I wouldn't be surprised if Yang could hear it. As much of a nervous mess my head is at the moment, I do my best to keep my expression normal. Well as normal as possible at a time like this. I plant one more kiss on her stomach before grabbing the waistband of her sweats. As I start to pull them down, Yang lifts her hips making it easier to slip them off. With the sweats gone all that's left is a pair of lacey black panties that match her bra. I can feel my face getting warm, meaning I probably have quite a large blush on my face. My brain has shut down and my nerves are shot to all hell, the fact that I'm functioning at all is a miracle in itself. Considering all I have to work with is my gut instinct and the burning desire to make Yang scream with pleasure. I start to kiss her inner thighs to tease her, while maximizing her pleasure at the same time. I move back slightly to just above her right knee, planting a long, slow line of kisses all the way up her leg. Stopping just when I reach the fabric of her panties, switching over to the other side to repeat the process again. Judging by how much Yang is squirming paired with the cute little noises she's making, I think it's safe to assume i'm doing something right. When I get about halfway up her left thigh, Yang jumps and a fairly loud moan escapes from her lips, before she grabs my face with both hands bringing me up to look into her eyes. "Jason, I can't take it anymore. Please." She speaks softly in between gulps of air, her face a very dark shade of red with a few beads of sweat starting to form as well.

I smile and nod, taking a quick moment to catch my breath before starting again. Yang let's go of my face and practically falls back, the pillows behind her keeping her propped up while she looks up at the ceiling. With my breathing for the most part back to normal, I go back down planting another kiss on her Yang's lower stomach while grabbing the waistband of the panties and removing them. As I remove the panties, I notice that she is clean shaven the soft smooth skin being very soft to the touch. Filled with more than a little uncertainty, I move my tongue with trepidation towards Yang's womanhood. Not knowing exactly what to do, I start simply by licking from the bottom to the top which elicits a loud moan from Yang. Seeing that the response was positive, I decide to repeat the motion in the reverse, working from top to bottom and back again. After about the sixth or seventh time of repeating this same cycle, Yang speaks up breathily. "Jason, use your fingers too." I take her advice and slowly slide my right pointer finger inside of her, causing her to shudder and moan loudly again. I start to move my finger back and forth while at the same time lightly kissing her inner thigh. As I continue the fluent motion of my finger inside her, Yang gasps out. "Two... please!" I slow my pace for a moment, adjusting my hand so that I can slip my middle finger inside her as well, before increasing my pace once again. The reaction is immediate, Yang's moans get louder and her whole body trembles before becoming more rigid. I continue my pace for a few minutes keeping my motions fluent and constant, suddenly I can feel Yang's fingers entangling themselves in my hair before pulling my head from her thigh and back towards the top of her vagina. With my lips suddenly being placed on her clit, I take the hint and suck the tiny nub between my lips. Starting to switch back and forth between nibbling on it, teasing the sensitive spot with my tongue. Yang almost instantly arches her back with her hands digging into my bed sheets, balling them up into her hands and screams. "Jason, I'm cumming!" After a few moments Yang releases my head, allowing me to sit up to catch my breath once more. I look down at my beautiful girlfriend as she lays sprawled out on my pile of pillows, looking more amazing and more radiant than ever. I can't help but smile and chuckle quietly to myself for a moment before crawling up next to her, draping an arm over her and pulling her in close to cuddle.

"Well you really know how to wear a girl out, that was amazing Jason. Thank you." Yang says sleepily, obviously more than a little worn out. "No need to thank me Firecracker. One I was more than happy to do that for you, and two, this was my thank you to you for being so amazing and supportive during this entire trip. And in just general really." I gingerly kiss her neck, noticing that her breaths have slowed and deepened. I prop myself up on my arm and see that she has fallen asleep, carefully I pull a blanket from the bed and place it over her. Knowing the cold outside will now start to have an affect us again. As much as I would like to join her in sleep, i'm wide awake my mind occupied by thoughts of what just happened and the happiness and relief that came with it. With nothing else to do I decide to grab my scroll from the windowsill above me, using it to put on a movie to entertain myself while I continue to cuddle with my sleeping Firecracker. Making sure to keep the volume low I setup the projector to play on the far wall across from my bed, just to the left of the door. It isn't perfect but it works, and the movie keeps me occupied while I lay there. I get about halfway through the film before I can hear the front door open and close, meaning my parents are home. I have a moment of panic that quickly subsides with the realization that Yang is completely covered, and i'm almost fully clothed aside from a shirt. After a minute or two I can hear the footsteps starting up the stairs followed closely by my mother appearing in my doorway. My mother whispers to me, I assume because she notices that Yang is asleep. "Hi Jason, have you two eaten yet?" I shake my head. "No, we got back not to long ago and decided to watch a movie. Yang passed out and I didn't want to get up and risk waking her." I lie partially, but at this point the less questions from her the better. "Ok well i'm going to start warming up dinner here in a bit, should only be about ten minutes. I'd consider waking her now, the two of you could probably do for some food." Again I nod. "Will do mom, we'll meet you down there in a few minutes. I'll wake her and we will get cleaned up for dinner." Satisfied with my answer my mother turns and leaves the room, leaving us alone once again. I wait until I hear her get down stairs before I get up to close the door, before moving back to the bed crouching down in front of Yang. I gently stroke her cheek with my thumb and pointer finger until her eyes flicker open, fully focused on me. "Time to get up Firecracker, parents are home." At hearing the word parents, Yang shoots up in a panic but I quickly calm her down. "Don't worry I covered you up and played it off like we just got back and you fell asleep watching a movie, but now you should probably get dressed, time for dinner." Yang says nothing but sits up and gives me a brief kiss. "Ok, where are my panties?"


	31. Chapter 31: Returning the Favor

POV: Jason Vidar

Chapter Thirty Two:

My eyes pop open to a blurred image of white, that after blinking a few times slowly focuses to show ceiling of my bedroom. As usual i'm awake earlier than everyone else and find nothing but an undisturbed silence and a mostly dark room to greet me. I sit up and look to my left to see Yang, still sleeping peacefully, sprawled out across most of my bed. Not that I mind. I just smile at her while brushing her hair out of her face, being very careful not to wake her in the process. Our hunting trip (and i'm almost certain my 'thank you' probably had something to do with it too.) Yesterday must have taken a lot out of Yang because after waking up briefly to have dinner with my parents, she went back to sleep almost immediately and has been out like a light ever since. As carefully as possible I lift off the covers and swing my feet to the floor before standing up to streatch. Looking out the window above my bed I can see the first few rays of sunlight starting to peek out from the trees, and when I grab my scroll from the windowsill to check the time I find that it's just after six thirty.

 _ **Hmm, sleeping in for once and no nightmares? Something must be going right.**_

I chuckle to myself before standing and turning away from the bed to find some clothes. I walk over to my closet to retrieve some clothes that are more suitable for walking around the house than my current dark grey compression shorts. Since i'm feeling rather lazy I just grab a pair of black sweatpants and slip them on, I consider putting a shirt on but decide digging through my closet to find one that is clean and still fits properly is too much effort. Let alone noisey, so the sweatpants will have to do. Half dressed and now fully awake I head over to my door, popping the lock and cracking it open just wide enough to check that no one is in the hall before stepping out and quietly walking to the stairs. When i'm about halfway down the stairs I notice Gore sitting patiently at the bottom, waiting for me. He must have noticed that I slept a little later than usual too because when I get down to him he runs into my legs, knocking me on my ass before placing his head on my stomach. I assume this to be an effort to comfort me from some negativity he thinks I must be feeling, so I do my best to hide my frustration as I pick myself up off the floor. When i'm back on my feet I give him a scratch behind the ears as a bit of reassurance before I properly greet my companion. "Morning buddy, nothing's wrong ok? I promise, just slept better than usual is all." Gore pulls back and tilts his head at me, still not fully convinced. Though for the time being he seems preoccupied with something else, which after he returns with his bowl in his mouth I realize he's waiting for his breakfast.

"Glad to see you have your priorities are in order… But now that you mention it I could go for some food myself, I guess that means it's time to make some breakfast." I pick up the bowl and Gore shakes his head and happily trots off towards the kitchen with me following behind, stopping when he reaches the cabinet where he knows my mother keeps his food. With the bowl in hand I open the cabinet and grab a can of Gore's food, before making quick work of popping the top and emptying it out into his dish. I set the bowl down on the floor and step away as Gore quickly rushes forward to devour his meal. While he does I walk over to the fridge to make my own breakfast. I grab some eggs and a bag of pre shredded potatoes from the fridge, as well as a pan to cook them in from the cabinet above my head. I place the eggs and potatoes on the counter next to the stove and put the pan on the burner to heat up, when it's heated I crack a couple eggs into the pan and watch them start to cook. But before they are finished I crack two more into the pan, considering i'm cooking anyway, I figure Yang will be pretty hungry when she wakes up and she'd probably appreciate some food. When the eggs are all finished I slide them out of the pan onto two separate plates for Yang and myself before frying the potatoes and dividing them up as well. With all the cooking done I turn off the burner and throw the pan in the sink to be washed later, as well as grabbing some utensils.

With both plates sorted out, I take one in each hand and walk over to the kitchen table taking a seat to enjoy my food. As i'm eating I notice Gore nudging at my leg, meaning he has finished his food and is asking for more. In response, I give him a gently but firm shove to let him know he's not getting any. Which leads to him grumbling softly to himself before finding a comfortable place to lay down next to me while he waits. Which isn't too long because after a few minutes i've cleaned my plate and am standing up from the table to bring it to the kitchen. I set it in the sink and turn back around, grabbing Yang's plate from the table as I walk by. With Gore close on my heels the two of us head back upstairs, being careful not to wake anyone as we go. We get about halfway down the hall, before I notice something out of the corner of my eye that causes me to pause. I turn to face the door to my younger brothers old room, a strange feeling washing over me as I do. Not one of fear or pain, one of curiosity more than anything. I feel my hand starting to reach for the door knob, suddenly very anxious to see the inside of the room. Though before I do, I decide it's best to leave Yang her breakfast so that I don't have to carry it with me. I dash over to the door to my own room, which is still half open how i left it, and peek in. Yang is still out cold so I quickly sneak in, placing her plate of food on the night stand by her head before sneaking back out into the hall. Gore didn't bother following me into the room, and instead is happily waiting for me when I exit and together we walk back down the hall to Timmy's room.

This time I reach for the door handle and without hesitation I fling the door open, revealing the dark room that lays behind it. Before I head in though, I look down to Gore for support. "Stay close Gore, I may need you here in a minute." I scratch him behind the ear and he tilts his head at my in acknowledgement. I nod to him and together step inside, standing in darkness for a moment while I fumble for the switch. When I do eventually find it i'm surprised and delighted to see that when the light comes on, everything is exactly the same as I remember it. In front of me in the middle of the right hand wall is his bed, still made as if someone had slept in it last night. At the foot of the bed is his dresser, two clean shirts are still folded neatly where they were left. Even all the pictures and posters that decorate the walls are exactly the same, it's like time was frozen in this room for the last year. I walk forward around the bed, examining the pictures and posters as I walk along. Among the few that stand out are some _Achieve Men_ posters, a poster for a band called _Twenty One Pilots,_ and a first place medal for a martial arts tournament. But one picture in particular really grabs my attention, it's in a wooden frame hanging on the left hand wall, front and center. I remember the day it was taken very well, it;s a picture of Timmy, myself, our dad, and Jade. All posing around a nice buck Timmy had taken down that day, only his third ever deer. We were all so proud of him, and he was beyond ecstatic. That must have been almost three years ago now, but looking at this picture makes it feel like yesterday.

I feel a nudge at my leg and look down to see Gore looking up at me, I smile and scratch his head to tell him that i'm ok and shift my attention back to the picture on the wall. I grab the frame and carefully lift it off the nail that's keeping it pinned to suspended on the wall, though I nearly drop it when i'm surprised by a voice suddenly calling out from behind me. "I figured you'd end up in here at some point before you left, i'm glad to see I was right. As usual." Gore and I both spin around surprised to see my mother standing in the doorframe looking at the two of us, Gore trots over to say good morning but I stay where I am. "I didn't know you were up." I say rather flatly as the two of us stare at one and other. "I heard you get up, and when I heard you come in here I thought I should come in and see if you wanted to talk about anything." I nod, putting the picture I got off the wall into my pocket before replying. "I'm just surprised everythings still the way it was before, well you know…" I let myself trail off for a moment to recollect my scattered thoughts before picking up where I left off. "Coming in here I really didn't know what to expect, I just… felt like I shouldn't leave without facing everything, if you know what I mean." I look my mother in the eye blank faced, not happy or sad but floating somewhere in the middle. But she's smiling. "Well you seem to be taking it in stride Jason. I think you've started to finally come to terms with Timmy's death, you wouldn't be able to step foot in this room if you hadn't. I match her smile, though it quickly fades. "Yeah, it doesn't hurt like it used to. And with help from Gore, Yang, and my other new friends at Beacon.

I've even started to get used to not having him here, but the one thing I still can't let go of is the feeling that I could have saved him. As stupid as it sounds, no matter how many times you or anyone else tells me there was nothing I could have done… The feeling is still there." I want to avert my gaze, to look anywhere but my mother's direction but I force myself to keep eye contact. I owe her at least that. Both of us stand there stone faced and silent for what feels like an eternity before she breaks the silence. "Well I don't know what else to tell you other than we all know for a damn fact that if you had tried something, you and I wouldn't be standing here having this conversation. It would just be your father and I, all alone in this house mourning both of our sons instead of one. What you went through was a very traumatic event, and you will never fully get over what happened to your brother. None of us will, but you especially have a hard go of it because you saw it first hand. So when it comes down to it, all you can really do is the best you can. Remember the good times you got to share with your brother, the happy thoughts will only help you along the way. And eventually after more time has passed, you'll be at peace with his death." I don't know how to process everything that's going one properly, i'm just confused and angry and even a little scared.

I'm not one to think far ahead, i've always found it easier to focus on the here and now. And now that i'm faced with no other option it's causing a total system failure. Not knowing what else to do I just start to break down, tears start to roll down my cheeks I grab my mother and hug her tightly. I feel like a kid again bulbering in her arms, but instead of a scraped knee, this time i'm suffering from something much more complicated. In between rapid and sharp breaths, I start to ramble on about nothing in particular, just a little bit of everything. "I'm sorry mom, i'm sorry for leaving, I was selfish. I acted like Timmy's death only affected me. When it hurt all of us. Acted like ignoring everything and secluding myself, before leaving was somehow a good solution to my problems. Shows how much I know…" Even while sobbing I manage a chuckle, just goes to show even when i'm having an emotional break down I still think i'm hilarious. "Jason don't be ridiculous, everyone grieves on their own way. Yours was a bit different, but it's how you thought you should deal with it. Now i'm not saying I agree with your method, but look at it this way. It all worked out in the end. You met Yang, made new friends, and in turn have started to come to terms with your brothers death. So while no it wasn't the best decision, it did have some great results."

Everything she said makes perfect sense, it may not have been the smartest way to go about it but maybe some time away from here is what I really needed. The more I think it over, the more at peace I feel. Nothing's gnawing away at the back of my mind, and for the first time I can honestly say i'm fully at peace mentally. The tears stop coming and I lean back to look my mother in the face, smiling slightly as I do. "Thanks mom, I appreciate your help with all this. I really am starting to feel better, you were right." She smiles as well firing back, reminding me once more where I got my sense of humor. "As always you mean, I am your mother after all." I laugh awkwardly, a mix of a real and a fake laugh which leads to a silence between the two of us. But before it has the chance to become awkward, I take the opportunity to excuse myself. "...Well i'm gonna go, I want to work out and stuff before Yang gets up. Thanks again mom." She nods and the two of us go our separate ways, me heading to my room while she goes downstairs.

 _ **Shit I hope she isn't mad about the dishes…**_

I dismiss the thought, filing it away as a future problem and with Gore behind me head back to my room. Quietly I open the door and step in, holding it open for Gore and then letting it close behind him. Yang is still out cold on the bed, so I go over to my weight rack in the the corner and readjust the weight for bench press. I lay down on the bench and Gore goes and lays down in the far corner, so he can keep an eye on the whole room. Being careful not to make to much noise I life the bar off the safeties, and start knocking out reps. Since the weight is set a little heavy, I don't bother adjusting it. Instead just electing to go for a larger number of sets with fewer reps. Which ends up being a good decision, because by my fifth set I have to rack the weight early to avoid dropping it on myself. My arms ache and my left elbow is hurting some, making me wonder if I hit it on something during the night. Rubbing my elbow with my right hand to try to sooth irritation, I sit up to see Yang sitting up in my bed looking at me. She still looks rather sleepy, sitting there in one of my shirts that is slightly too big on her. She looks so cute I can't help but smile.

"Good morning Firecracker. I didn't wake you did I?"Still not quite ready to speak yet, Yang just shakes her head no and stands up from the bed. I lean against the bar to keep up right, while Yang walks across the room to sit on my lap. Her head resting on my shoulder. I wrap her in my arms and plant a kiss on the top of her head. "There's some food over there on the end table, if you're hungry that is. Made it myself." She giggles and looks up at me. "You really are the best, you know that." Yang stands up with me not to far behind. "I try." I reply with a laugh as I stand myself up. While Yang eats her food, I walk over to the wall near the weight rack to find an open spot where I can hang the picture from Timmy's room. Satisfied with the spot I found, I grab an extra thumbtack and hang it up. Making it only the second picture of Timmy I have hanging in my room.

 _ **Progress…**_

I stand there thinking to myself and looking at the picture, slightly zoned out before Yang's voice draws my attention back. "Hey Jason?" I turn around to face Yang, noticing she's finished her food. "What's up Firecracker?" Yang looks a little nervous which is putting me slightly on edge, though I don't let it show in my expression. "Is something wrong Yang?" My tone gives away my uneasiness, which Yang picks up on. "Well it's not really something wrong, so much as I have to leave." The answer hits like a punch to the gut, leaving me scrambling to come up with a reply. "Leave… what do you mean? Is something wrong, did I do anything wrong I mean!?" I've lost my nerve entirely by this point, and my panic rings through clearly as I speak. "No, no, Jason you didn't do anything. This is what I was talking about last night when I mentioned my dad. But I got distracted with everything that happened last night, I forgot to tell you. My dad called last night, he found out that i'm here instead of at Beacon and wants me to come home. So I have to leave…" Well knowing it isn't me is a relief, but Yang leaving still isn't a great though either. I've already made up my mind, what comes next doesn't even require any though. "I'm coming with you." I can see Yang moving to protest but I stop her before she can. "You were here for me, i'm gonna be here for you." I stat rather flatly, making my determination to come along clear. I stare in her eyes, still expecting some sort of opposition, but nothing shows. Instead she just looks at me and smiles, which causes me to smile back. "Plus I get to meet the rest of your family, so it all works out in the end."

Yang giggles. "I wish I could be so optimistic, my dad seemed pretty pissed off." Though she says this with a smile, I can see that this really seems to be bothering her. So I do what I can to put her at ease. "Well then, i'll just have to turn on the Vidar charm then eh? I mean it's got a pretty great track record. Worked for my dad with my mom, and then it worked for me with you. Now hopefully it'll work against your dad." As I speak, I close the short distance between the two of us until i'm close enough to wrap her in my arms. Using height to my advantage, I look down at Yang's face while she looks up at me, a massive smirk on my face. My attempt has the desired effect as some of Yang's uncertainty seems to fade, leaving her at least slightly more at ease. Standing up on her tip toes, Yang gives me a quick peck on the lips before slipping out of my grasp to walk back over to the bed to get her scroll. "Well I guess i'll let my dad know to expect us then, i'll also get us some tickets for a flight later today. That'll give us plenty of time to get packed and ready before we go." I nod and grab her plate, deciding to go take care of the dishes while she works on her tasks. As i'm leaving the room Yang turns to face me with one hand on her hip, her scroll in the other, pointing at me with a big smile on her face. "Just remember Jason, charm is one thing just don't try to sleep with my dad ok." I can't help but to laugh, I walked right into that one. But it's good to know my little speech helped. "Damn, you figured out my plan. Well it was worth a shot." I say my tone thick with sarcasm as I'm leaving the room.

 _ **God I love this girl**_ …


	32. Chapter 32: A Day Come and Gone

POV: Ruby Rose

Chapter Thirty Two: A Day Come and Gone

I look up at Weiss, more than a little annoyed that she used my own tactic against me. My well known ' _Pouty Face'_ in full effect I shout at her. "Weiss, no fair using my gravity dust tactics against me!" The annoyance in my tone doesn't seem to reach Weiss because she just smiles, catching me off guard with a surprise kiss. My face starts to feel warm as I lean in and try to deepen our kiss but Weiss pulls back, effectively stopping my attempt. When our eyes meet again she's still smiling, leaving me confused. "If you using the dust rounds I got you is fair, me using the gravity dust against you is fair too." I try to find a flaw in Weiss's argument to no avail, so I just resort to pouting again. "I guess that's fair, but I still don't have to like it." I cross my arms and look off to one side to drive home the point that i'm disappointed in losing, but in reality I couldn't care less. My Princess won fair and square, her use of gravity dust didn't give her an unfair advantage. But if she knew that it would take the fun out of it for her, so I make it a point to play along. Weiss just simply laughs at me and stands up straight before jumping down from the elevated platform she was previously standing on. "Come on Dolt, let's get you home so your dad can have a look at your shoulder. I'm sorry about that by the way, I didn't mean to hurt you." Since Weiss mentioned it, I look at my shoulder to examine the wound that I had honestly already forgotten about. My aura took the majority of the hit for me, leaving only a two or so inch long shallow cut. Compared to what i've seen _Myrtenaster_ do to grimm, i'm quite lucky to have such a small injury. I just nod and try my best to make Weiss relax some, mostly because I can tell she feels bad about it when she shouldn't. We were fighting each other after all. "It's ok Princess the cut isn't bad, my aura will heal it up in a couple hours."

The referee nods politely to the two of us and unlocks the door to let us out. We follow the fences edge back around to the front of building, my attention wandering to the other matches going on as I trail slightly behind Weiss. When we reach the front we make our way towards the doors, slipping through the decent sized crowd that has formed to watch the fights. With how small patch is it isn't unusual to have the locals show up to watch the aspiring hunters and huntresses train, especially with how little there is to do. The local movie theater only gets new movies once every month or so and you can only watch a film so many times before you start to go insane, so this offers another means of entertainment. We clear the crowd and are about to head out the doors when a very familiar voice calls out from behind us. "Well, well, well that was quite the match the two of you had back there. Needs some work though." I turn around so fast it makes me slightly dizzy. But it's worth it as I am excited to see my uncle Qrow standing behind me. "UNCLE QROW!" I shout as I run and jump at him, latching onto his outstretched arm. His expression stays the same as he looks at me, seemingly unsurprised. "Did you miss me, did you miss me?" I question a little louder than I intended to out of the excitement of seeing my uncle again. His face breaks into a smirk as he replies, his tone full of sarcasm. "Nope." He gives his arm a shake as a signal for me to let go, so I unwrap my legs and let them fall to the ground before releasing his entirely. I take a step back so that I am standing next to Weiss again, with uncle Qrow standing in front of us with the front doors to his back. "What are you doing here uncle Qrow? Dad said that you were still out on a mission or something when we got here."

With his arm free once again, he takes a moment to straighten out his sleeve before he says anything. "Well I finished up early because I knew you were coming home for break, but when I got to the house Tai said the two have you had gone to town. It wasn't very hard to find you after that." He pauses, taking his flask from a pocket in his jacket and taking a long drink. When hes done, he wipes any remaining liquid from his mouth with the back of his hand before returning the flask to his pocket and continuing where he left off. "There's only so many places you could be. Plus I needed to get a few things around town anyway, so meeting up with you two for some free labor isn't too bad either." He chuckles to himself while at the same time turning to face Weiss. "You're the Schnee right?" I notice a tone is his voice that seems harsher than usual, but surprisingly Weiss seems unaffected and just nods as her response. Now that I think about it, she's probably had a lot of experience with people who don't think very highly of her family name. My uncle seeming to be one of them. "Hmm, that was clever what you did in there with the gravity dust." Weiss gains a confident smile. "Thank you, I just happened to-" He cuts her off before she can finish. "Clever but sloppy, you got lucky with a dangerous tactic. You won't rely on that one if you're smart." He says rather flatly, the comment obviously annoying Weiss. She glares at him but he seems unaffected, going back to his flask again for another long drink.

 _ **Yep, that's uncle Qrow…**_

I slyly take Weiss's hand in mine when uncle Qrow isn't looking, the gesture isn't much but it seems to relax her at least a bit. When he's finished, my uncle puts his flask away again and gestures towards the front doors. "Let's get going, the quicker we can get done the quicker we can get home. It's been a long trip already." He trails off and the three of us make our way towards the exit. As we pass through the crowd of people hovering about, a few even offer Weiss congratulations on winning our match. Our trip doesn't take long and soon we are outside standing in the sunshine. "What do we have to do today uncle Qrow?" I question as Weiss and I enjoy the warm sunlight, even this time of year it's nice and warm during the day on patch. Only occasionally does the wind pick up and put a chill in the air. "Not much, I've been gone a while and Tai told me we don't have much food in the house. So we need to head to the grocery store, and that should be it." He pauses for a moment before continuing where he left off. "Although I'll probably need to stop at the liquor store on the way home too, food isn't the only thing we're running low on." He scoffs as he pulls his flask out again and gives it a shake, displeased with how little seems to be left. He turns with Weiss and myself following behind, walking down the street that is laid out in front of us. Looking ahead, the street seems to stretch out for two blocks before turning into a T-intersection. Short, quaint little buildings dot the sides of the road. Some are homes, others are businesses and some are just empty. We reach the T-intersection before long and take a left, leading us deeper into the middle of town. Weiss and I are walking side by side with uncle Qrow out in front. With how quiet everyone is, I start to get bored and find myself looking to Weiss who is focusing on what's in front of her. That is until she notices my stare, then her attention shifts over to me a questioning look on her face.

I can feel myself starting to blush so I just smile and nod, looking away in an attempt to hide my bright pink cheeks. It's strange to me that even though Weiss and I have technically dating for almost two months now I still get so flustered around her, not that getting flustered is a strange thing for me it happens a lot but something feels different when Weiss is involved. Relationships are so complicated, there's so many little details and things I feel like I would know if I had more experience. Come to think of it, I know for a fact that Yang had other boyfriends before Jason. Weiss hasn't spoke much about previous relationships but from the little she has said, it's safe to assume that she's had more than one that likely ended badly. That leaves Blake as the only one i'm not sure about, but it's more than likely there was someone before Jade. Which leaves me as the only one who hasn't had a real relationship before now, which makes trying to figure things out with someone like Weiss even more difficult. "So what did Yang do this time?" The random question from uncle Qrow catches my attention and distracts me from my inner thoughts. "What do you mean?" I counter his question with one of my own to try to figure out what he's talking about. "Well your dad wasn't in a mood to talk about it, but he mentioned something about her lying about where she was staying over break. You know anything about it?"

"Um...well." I start, trying to think of what to say so that i'll be able to answer the question without giving any information he may not know. Though it seems my efforts are wasted as my plan gets called out before I can think of something. "Don't even bother trying to lie kid, i'll know." From where my uncle is standing in front of Weiss and I, he glances back over his shoulder, his face entirely serious. I glance at Weiss with a pleading look on my face, silently begging her for help. But Weiss has no help to offer as she just shrugs her shoulders, leaving me to fend for myself. I sigh, with no way around this, my best and only chance is to just slow down and choose my words carefully. "Well you see um… It's kinda a long story." I try desperately to avoid the question, but my attempt fails as uncle Wrote just scoffs. "Well we have the time, start explaining."

 _ **Well that didn't work…**_

With my last desperate attempt at avoiding this conversation defeated, I bite my lip and start to tell my uncle the story. "Well a little over a month ago this boy named Jason transferred to Beacon from Atlas. He and Yang got along really well, and not very long after that they started dating. The two of them were really into one and other and well, when break came around Yang decided she wanted to spend hers with Jason rather than coming home with me and Weiss. She also made me promise not to tell dad, but i'm bad at keeping secrets and dad found out and now he's really mad at Yang and I know she's going to be mad at me for telling him, so i'm really not looking forward to break ending and the two of us seeing each other again." It's not until i've finished explaining that I realize how fast I was actually talking and i'm suddenly worried I may have to repeat the story again. But thankfully it seems he got at least most of the story because he doesn't question or ask me to repeat anything, he just keeps walking with his head pointed forward. Seemingly mulling over all the information that was just dumped on him, and maybe comparing it to some of his own.

I look to Weiss who just shrugs her shoulders and the three of us just continue our walk in silence, at least until my uncle is finished thinking. "Well that explains it then…" He pauses and takes another long drink from his flask. "I tried my best to talk Tai down some but, well let's just say he's far from being at terms with it. I wouldn't be surprised if she's here by tomorrow if he has his way." He shrugs, mumbling under his breath. "Can't wait to see how this one goes…" Once again his flask is in his hand, but when he goes back for another drink the contents seem to have run out. He shakes the flask annoyed, confirming that it is empty before putting it back in his pocket. The rest of the walk goes in silence as uncle Qrow continues to lead the way, walking down the middle of the street with Weiss and I continuing to lag slightly behind. The side street that we are following eventually leads into a t-junction, where our quiet side street meets the busy main road. The three of us move over to the sidewalk to avoid being hit by a car, turning right walking alongside the road. We follow the the sidewalk for two more blocks before we get to where we were going, the grocery store. The store is rather large, bigger than most on Patch in fact but it is extremely simple, nothing more than large hollow rectangle. The parking lot is rather empty, which we take full advantage of cutting straight across it to reach the doors faster. There are two sets of doors, one on either side of the building. We approach the closer of the two (The one on the right hand side of the building if you are looking at it from the front.) And the doors open automatically when we enter their sensors range.

The first door leads into a small lobby area with shopping carts in long lines on the right wall, then beyond that is the store itself. Uncle Qrow grabs a cart and then heads inside. Much like the exterior the interior is also very simple, sixteen aisles are set up in the open space with different products on each aisle ranging from food to household cleaning products. We start at an aisle filled with different types of alcohol, uncle Qrow wastes no time picking out server bottles as we walk along. Even popping one open to refill his flask and take a sip before placing it in our shopping cart.

"That's better." He mumbles to noone in particular as we reach the end of the aisle.

One aisle at a time we work our way from one side of the store to the other, filling the cart with whatever sounds good as we do. By the to time we reach the far side of the store, the cart is overflowing so badly that Weiss and I have to carry some ourselves so that it doesn't fall out onto the floor. "Well this should last at least until you two have to go back to school, let's get the hell home. I need a nap." It isn't until we've finished paying and are outside the store that I start to wonder how exactly were going to get all these groceries home, we can't bring the cart with us and there's too much to carry by ourselves. Weiss and uncle Qrow seem to have the same realization and the three of us stand there for a few moments confused before a solution is offered.

"Don't worry, I'll call a cab." Uncle Qrow says as he pulls his scroll from his pocket. After a few minutes a yellow taxi cab pulls up to the sidewalk where were standing. The three of us transfer the grocery bags from the cart into the trunk before climbing in the back seat of the cab. When were all settled, uncle Qrow tells the cab driver our destination and were on our way home. The driver is rather quiet and only speaks to let us know that it'll be about fifteen minute ride to get to our destination. The way we are seated i'm in the middle with Weiss on my left and uncle Qrow on my right, I try to take advantage of the situation and place my hand on Weiss's. Which much to my delight she allows, even taking it a step further to intertwine our fingers.

Pleased with my small victory I lean my head back and relax in my seat, content. The majority of the ride passes in silence consisting mostly of Weiss and I looking out the window while my uncle stares blankly out the front windshield. That is until we hear a scroll go off, which triggers us all to check to see whose it was. I check my scroll, seeing that the lock screen is blank I know the notification wasn't mine and guessing from Weiss's reaction it wasn't hers either. Which leaves only my uncle who already has his scroll in his hands and is staring intently at the screen, reading something. When he's finished, he looks up, says nothing and locks his scroll before putting it back in his pocket.

"Is something wrong uncle Qrow?"

"No...not yet atleast, but I do need to take care of something. Let me out over here." The cab driver follows his instructions and pulls over to the side of the road, right on the edge of town near a small strip mall. "Looks like I won't be getting that break quite yet, but you two can take this stuff home and tell Tai I got called for work… Oh and here." He pauses pulling out his wallet and handing me some lein. "That should be enough to pay for the ride." With that he climbs out of the cab and shuts the door behind him, I just shrug my shoulders and wave at him through the back window as the cab pulls away back onto the road. Weiss on the other hand seems entirely confused, and considering I don't think anyone in her family is a professional hunter or huntress I can understand why. "Don't worry, this isn't really a new thing. He used to do this all the time when Yang and I were kids, he gets a message from someone about a mission and that's that. As odd as it sounds, we're both kinda used to it at this point."

"Do you know when he's coming back?"

"Nope. It can be for a few hours or it could be for a few days, we never know. He comes home when he's done with whatever job he's been sent on." Weiss looks like she's still trying to wrap her head around the concept but nods. Things are different for her, her dad may be busy all the time but he has a set schedule rather than just disappearing randomly whenever he gets a phone call. Looking at it from her perspective I can see how this would be a strange way of life. The last leg of our cab ride home goes in silence, when the cab driver pulls up in front of the house my dad is waiting on the front steps. The cab stops and Weiss and I hop out, my dad walking up to meet us. I'm expecting him to be upset based off of what uncle Qrow was saying earlier but he doesn't, so either he isn't upset or he's just hiding it well. He just starts helping us unload the groceries from the trunk and bring them into the house. As I grab a few bags, I wince as stinging pain jabs me in the shoulder reminding me of my injury from earlier. I do my best to ignore it until we're done putting the food away and my dad can have a look at it. "So did you two have a good time?" He asks as the three of us walk inside to set the bags down. "Where's Qrow, he told me he was gonna go meet up with you two?"

"It was fun Weiss and I went and had a little training match in town and then uncle Qrow met up with us and we went to the store. He got a phone call on the way home though, told us to tell you he got called into work" He just chuckles. "Poor Qrow just can't seem to catch a break, well hopefully he'll be home soon. Is something wrong with your shoulder there kido?" He must have noticed the way I was holding my shoulder and decided to comment on it. I notice Weiss spin around rather quickly out of the corner of my eye as well, possibly worried that she might get blamed for the injury. "Eh, not really I just got clipped during our match is all. Nothing too serious, probably needs to be looked at though."

"Yeah i'll have a look at it here in a few minutes." There's a pause of a few seconds before he adds. "Oh yeah and your sister will be here tomorrow afternoon, Jason's coming too apparently." At the mention of Jason I notice a hint of the irritation in his voice that uncle Qrow was talking about. So he is mad, just not at us.

 ** _Hopefully Yang isn't either..._**


	33. Chapter 33: Day Drinkin

POV: Qrow Branwen

Chapter Thirty Three: Day Drinkin

The sounds of the taxis engine fades away the farther I walk back down the road we just came from. The small grouping of buildings isn't far and after only a moment or so walking I reach them, going over to the closest of the three and leaning up against it. My eyelids feel really heavy and sleep is in the forefront of my mind but unfortunately there is work to be done, as usual.

 _ **Oz better have a damn good reason for this…**_

I grab my flask and take a long drink before placing it back in my shirt pocket and grabbing my scroll to dial Ozpin. Quickly entering the number and placing the call, it rings twice before he answers. "Hello Qrow."

"What is it now Oz? I thought I was finally going to be able to get some sleep."

"Well, something's come up."

"Really? I thought that you were interrupting my much needed break to invite me to Beacon for a cup of coffee. Cut to the chase!"

There is a long pause before I get a response, in an annoyingly calm tone. "You're quite testy today."

"Yeah that tends to happen when you haven't had a decent night's sleep in a month, now what's going on." There is a long sigh from the other end of the line. "It's bad news Qrow, it appears that the White Fang are planning something on patch. They've had a lot of activity on the island as of late, everything from stolen cargo shipments coming in of _f_ freighters to recruiting new members. Something big is coming, and I want to know what it is before it happens. Can you do it?" Now it's my turn to sigh, if Oz is right and the White Fang actually are planning something on Patch, it could go bad very quickly if it's left unchecked. It couldn't have come at a worse time though, with me in dire need of a break and all this business about Yang's new boyfriend I see myself being very busy the next few days. I guess i'll just have to multitask. I take one more long sip from my flask before I give my answer.

"Do you even need to ask that question Oz? I'll get it done, just give me the details."

It's just after midnight when I get back to the house, surprisingly the living room light is still on. Which means Tai is probably still awake. After spending the better part of my afternoon verifying the information that Ozpin gave me, what I really need now is some rest. I walk up the front steps and fling the door open, seeing Tai sitting in the recliner. He looks half asleep but my entrance seems to wake him. "Hey Qrow, how'd everything go?" I decide to ignore the question and flop myself face down on the couch. "That good huh?" I catch a hint of annoyance in his tone, though I'm guessing it's not from me so I decide to just ignore it. I can hear him stand up from the couch and walk away down towards the hallway. "Well you can tell me about it tomorrow I guess, right now I think we both need some sleep." Shortly after, the lights click off and I'm left alone in the living room. Being too tired to get up, I roll over onto one side and instantly feel more comfortable. A few seconds later I drift off to sleep.

When I wake up the sun has already risen, but it still seems early in the day. I check my scroll and see that it's eleven thirty. I swing my legs off the couch so that my feet are resting on the floor and stand up. I Note that my head is pounding and a hangover is starting to set in, meaning it's time to start drinking again. I pull my flask and take a large swig as I walk over to the kitchen door, leaning on the doorframe when I reach it. Tai, Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and another boy that I don't recognize are all sitting around the kitchen table enjoying lunch. Well enjoying may be a bit of a stretch. Judging by the look on everyone's faces this meeting is anything but pleasant. Yang looks extremely uncomfortable sitting in between her father and who I assume must be Jason. Tai is glaring at Jason who seems surprisingly unphased while he eats his food with one hand, and holding Yang's hand with the other. Weiss and Ruby have their backs to me but I'd imagine things aren't much better for them either, so I decide to step in a break things up.

"Good morning everyone, Tai you seem like you're in a good mood today." I step forward and announce myself, making it obvious I'm being sarcastic. Though Tai ignores me, seemingly uninterested in speaking at the moment though everyone else says good morning. I take the seat next to who I assume to be Jason and take another swing from my flask, when I'm finished I point a finger at the boy sitting next to me.

"So, I'm guessing your Jason."

He puts his fork down and turns towards me, offering a hand to shake. "You guessed right. Jason Vidar, nice to meet you. You must be the Uncle Qrow I've heard so much about." I shake his hand firmly, glad to see that he doesn't react when I do but instead matches my strength.

"Qrow Branwen, also known as uncle Qrow to these two." I gesture to Ruby and Yang. "But you can just call me Qrow… What time did you two end up getting here last night?" Jason goes to answer but Tai cuts him off before he has the chance.

"They got here a little before you did Qrow, around eleven thirty."

It's obvious he's been in a pissy mood, now that Jason's here eating breakfast with him it's only gotten worse it seems. "I don't remember asking you Tai... Weiss, Ruby are you two about done with breakfast? Why don't you give the four of us some time alone." Taking the hint Ruby just nods and the two of them excuse themselves, leaving Jason, Tai, Yang, and myself alone in the kitchen. I give it a moment to make sure we are actually alone before I speak. "The three of you have a lot to talk about, so we're gonna talk about it. And when we're done, were done. We'll all start over without any bad blood between us alright? Now, Tai why don't you start." I lean back in my chair, using the counter behind me to prevent myself from falling back. Tai's glare is now directed at me, his displeasure with my idea is clear on his face but he still does what was asked of him. "Well I'll start with the obvious one, what the hell did you think you were doing lying to me about where you were Yang? I mean imagine if something bad had happened and I had to get a hold of you, what would have happened then? What if someone got hurt and we needed you here? Did you think about any of that before running off with your 'boyfriend' here?"

Yang looks even more upset than before as she just seems to look at the table in front of her, avoiding eye contact with Tai. Jason is quite the opposite, maintaining eye contact with Tai the whole time.

 _ **Kids got a hell of a poker face, thats for sure…**_

"Well if you don't mind sir, I'd be happy to answer that question for you." Jason speaks up, which seems to surprise Tai a bit.

"By all means."

"This isn't Yang's fault, it's mine. I had the stupid idea for Yang to tell you she was still at Beacon, because I thought if you knew the truth you wouldn't approve."

"Damn right I wouldn't approve, I don't know anything about you. So why in the world as a parent would I trust you to take my daughter all the way to Atlas." Jason seems to flinch slightly but keeps his nerve.

"My thoughts exactly, so that's when my bad idea came into play. Basically I see how stupid that idea was in retrospect and I want to apologise. I don't expect you to forgive that by any means, I know I wouldn't. But I really do care for your daughter, and I'd like for the two of us to at least be able to be civil with one and other. And I'm more than happy to do anything to make that happen, starting with showing you that this one really bad decision doesn't reflect me as a whole." He offers his hand across the table to Tai, who eyes him suspiciously for a solid minute or so before he accepts the offer. "It's a nice speech, I'm sure you practiced it a lot on your way here. But know this, I still don't trust you in the slightest and I don't like you. It's gonna be a long while before that changes."

"All I'm asking for is a chance sir."

Tai aggressively pulls his hand away. "I'll be watching you, step outta line and I'll make sure you don't have the chance to do it again." Jason nods and Tai storms out of the room, leaving only Jason, Yang and myself behind in the kitchen. I decide it's best to leave a few minutes for the air to clear before I speak up, while I wait I take the opportunity to call a ride on my scroll. When I'm finished I stand up and grab Jason's shoulder. "Get up, you and I are going somewhere." He pauses for a moment a look of confusion on his face, but he doesn't argue and does as he's told. Yang on the other hand isn't quite as cooperative.

"Give Jason a break uncle Qrow, he's already had to deal with my dad. At least give him a little time to recover before he has to deal with your lecture too." I just chuckle to myself and gently but firmly direct Jason away from the table, using my hand on his shoulder as leverage. "I'm not gonna lecture him, Yang. I'll have him home in a few hours." Jason takes the hint and starts walking towards the front door, I let go of his arm and open it for the two of us to step outside. The car I called for waiting for us in the driveway. "Get in."

"Where are we?" Jason asks as the two of us step out of the car and onto the sidewalk. "Downtown Patch." I answer simply over my shoulder as I start walking towards the door. "More specifically, we are at my favorite bar in downtown Patch." I step forward and open the door, stepping inside with Jason close on my heels. The layout of the bar is simplistic, with only the bar counter with stools on the back wall and a few tables in the space in front of it. "Why a bar?" Jason questions as I find us two open stools at the bar counter, which isn't difficult considering this time of day the bar is empty. The only person in the building besides Jason and I is the bartender, who looks rather bored standing around polishing the counter. "There are two main reasons. One, I need a drink and this is my favorite place. And two, since your dating my niece I want to learn more about you. People tend to get more talkative when they've been drinking." I flash a smirk and signal for the bartender, who brings me my usual glass of whiskey with an extra for Jason. Who looks at it confused for a moment before looking to me, I give him a nod and without hesitation he picks up the half full glass and drains it in one go. He puts the glass back down on the counter and looks at me again, this time with a smirk on his face. Its obvious he's pleased with himself, I match his smirk with one of my own and signal for the bartender. Who fills the glass once more. Instead of downing my own drink, I decide to sip from the glass, questioning my niece's new boyfriend as I do.

"Do you drink a lot Jason, seems like you're pretty used to it."

"Not really no, I've drank a few times in my life with friends from back home sure, but not much. In honesty, I don't like it. But I hold my alcohol pretty well, and I figured i'd better make a good impression."

I chuckle and take another sip from my glass. "Well do yourself a favor and don't try to keep up with me, your liver will thank you." A smile crosses his lips. "Duly noted, now what did you want to know? I'll be happy to answer whatever questions you throw my way, honestly of course." With a rather large gulp I finish my drink and wait for the bartender to refill my glass before continuing. "Well I guess I'll start with an easy one, where are you from?"

"It's a small town in Atlas named Camino, it's a few miles outside the main city and is pretty isolated. My family has lived there for a while, nothing to special but it's a nice little town."

"Any siblings?"

He tries to hide it but I notice him flinch slightly, and he takes a long sip of his drink before answering. "I had a younger brother, he was killed by grimm almost two years ago. So now it's just me and my parents."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, you didn't know and I can't blame you for asking. That was actually a big part of the reason I transferred to Beacon, but if you don't mind I would rather avoid that topic." He shoots me a smile but there is definitely a difference in his voice, It obviously still troubles him.

"Yeah 'course, uh… how'd you meet my niece?"

"Well Beacon obviously, I got put into the dorm across from her and quite literally ran into her my first day. We ended up sparring, she won. After that, we got to know each other better and talking more. Training together and eventually we ended up, well together. It wasn't the most traditional way, instead of 'hey I like you, would you like to go out'. It was 'let's spar' and I ended up with three cracked ribs."

 _ **That sounds like Yang.**_

"Just three?" I ask sarcastically. "Now I know she likes you, I've seen some of her other sparring partners come out much worse than that."

"I'd believe that, she's definitely kicked my ass more than once. I'd hate to see what would happen if I ever really pissed her off." He answers with a chuckle, taking another sip of his drink. He wasn't lying, he does hold his drink pretty well so far. Though as time passes I start to notice more slurring when he speaks. The two of us drink for a while with me asking occasional questions, though nothing of real significance. An hour and a half or so passes when a thought creeps into my mind, something doesn't seem right.

"Jason?"

"Yes~" He answers half slurred, by this point all the alcohol hes consumed has caught up with him. He's pretty far gone.

 _ **How many did he drink, eight, nine? I should have kept track... oh well.**_

"About the story you told Tai, that not telling him where Yang was was your idea. That's not how it happend, is it?" In his inebriated state I can see the wheels turning in his head. He looks up at me and starts to say something but stops himself and looking down at the bar counter, possibly rethinking an lie he came up with. Then after a few moments of silence he looks up again and meets my eyes. "No, it isn't. In honesty I didn't even think about what she told you guys at all, I was more caught up with some personal problems to notice. I didn't even know that she had lied to Tai until the day before we came here."

"Then why take the heat for it, you may not have know but Tai can hold a hell of a grudge." He seems to contemplate what was said for a moment before responding. "Well in a way I was returning a uh… favor I guess? At the start of break and for a while before that actually I was having a lot of problems e-e-emotionally. Mainly the loss of my little brotherrr... I left home to get away from having to deal with that, and when it came time to go back I was s-scared. Yang saw that and offered to come home with me, for support and to help me deal with whatever might happen when I was there. So when Tai was yelling at her for that.. III felt real bad, and wanted to do something. AnD HeRE wE Are." He tries to spin around on his stool but fails horribly and nearly falls to the ground, thankfully I'm able to catch him by the collar of his shirt before he does and pull him upright.

"I think it's time we get home." I say as I pull enough lein out of my pocket to cover our tab, with a little extra to tip the bartender. "SoUnDs GoOd To mE." Jason shouts as he does his best to steady himself and stumbles after me as I head for the door. With one last wave to the bartender the two of us step out into the mid afternoon sunlight, that even without the effects of the alcohol is way too bright. I shield my eyes with one hand and hold Jason's shirt collar with the other, considering how close to a busy street we are. The last thing I need is for him to get hit by a car. I check my scroll and see that it's just past two thirty, it's been a very productive afternoon.

 _ **Now how am I going to explain this little trip to everyone else...**_

 **Sorry about the delay on this one guys, it's been sitting here about 90% done for a while now. Just been having a hard time getting inspiration for that last 10%. Hope you enjoy, and i'll see you all in the next chapter :D**


	34. Chapter 34: Destroy and Rebuild

POV: Yang Xiao Long

Chapter Thirty Four: Destroy and Rebuild

Gore and Zwei watch patiently as I pace back and forth in my room. Surprisingly enough the large wolf made quick friends with the smaller dog, and now the two are laying next to one and another on my bed. I was originally opposed to the idea but since it doesn't hurt anything, I decided to let it slide and focus on more important matters. Like the fact that nearly three hours later Jason and uncle Qrow still aren't back from wherever they went. Uncle qrow disappearing is one thing, and over the years it's become a sort of a standard for him. But him mysteriously disappearing with my boyfriend is another thing altogether.

 _ **He wouldn't hurt Jason… Would he?**_

A whole new, much darker set of thoughts starts to take over in the forefront of my mind. Thankfully the sound of Gore growling at a car pulling into the driveway distracts me enough to pull my mind from the dark thoughts. Running to the window I see a blue town car sitting in the driveway, the same one uncle Qrow and Jason left in a few hours before. A wave of relief washes over me and I turn away from the window to run down stairs to greet them. As I jog down the hall I can hear Gore and Zwei jump down from the bed to follow me, landing with muffled thuds as they hit the floor running. I reach the bottom of the stairs just in time to see uncle Qrow open the door and step in with Jason stumbling in behind. The longer I look at the two of them the more something seems off, my uncle looks like his usual self but something is definitely different with Jason. It isn't until I take a few steps closer and catch a whiff of the two of them that I realise what exactly is going on.

"YOU'RE BOTH DRUNK!" I should fairly loudly at the two of them as Jason leans against the wall behind him for support, it's obvious he's had too much.

"gUiLtY As cHArged, FiiReCrAcKeR!~~" Jason shouts back with a giggle, seeming really pleased with himself before uncle Qrow places a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet.

"I told you in the car to keep your mouth shut." He stops and pinches the bridge of his nose, mumbling something along the lines of 'I knew he wouldn't listen' more to himself than to Jason who is still standing there looking pleased with himself. Even while leaning against the wall Jason is still swaying, showing just how far gone he is.

"So are one of you going to explain what exactly is going on?!" As I say this, Jason's feet slide out from under him and he lands hard on the floor. The wall keeping him propped upright, I turn my attention to my uncle while raising an eyebrow at him in a questioning manner. He contemplates for a moment before speaking, opening his mouth and then closing it again before finally speaking.

"Well in my defense… This wasn't my intention." He gestures down to Jason, who, when he sees me looking at him gets a goofy grin on his face.

"Well then tell me, WHAT WAS YOUR INTENTION?!"

"To get information… No one is more likely to let information slip than a man with a few drinks under his belt, though I wish I would have kept track of how much he'd had. Anyway, he'll be fine he just needs some time to sleep it off is all. No lasting damage, well other than the massive hangover he'll have tomorrow."

"So let me get this straight. After Jason had to deal with my dad, who we both know is a pain in the ass to begin with. You decide to take him out, get him drunk and take advantage of this by prodding him for information? You really are an ass uncle Qrow!"

I can feel anger building in the pit of my stomach and have no doubt that my eyes have taken on their notorious red tInt. Though, unlike most people, Uncle Qrow is unfazed by the transition and simply raises a hand in my direction. Like a stop sign.

"Calm down Yang, I wasn't prodding him… Well not really. I just gave him a few drinks and asked the right questions, he provided the information all by himself. At any rate I think you, me, and your dad have a lot to talk about. He should know that Jason lied to take the heat off of you, making himself Tai's enemy number one in the process. Which, let's be honest, while noble and all. Was a stupid decision."

He pauses long enough to take a drink from his flask, it seems that there is truly no such thing as 'too drunk' for uncle Qrow. "Come on Jason stand up, Yang here is gonna help you upstairs to get some rest."

He shoots a side eyed glance at me, with a smirk on his face before continuing. "I think he's gonna need a hand." At hearing his name called, Jason brings his attention up from the floorboards beneath him with a confused yet cheerful look offering his arm for someone to help him. I direct one final glare at my uncle, which he shrugs off with a smirk, Before taking Jason's hand in my own to pick him up. I grasp his hand tightly and drop my weight down and away, pulling him off the floor in the process. When he's on his feet again, I take his arm and wrap it around my shoulders. Which helps hold him a little more steady, but he still sways a fair bit as the two of us cross the living room to get to the stairs. Gore happily following behind us as we walk, careful to keep his distance as to not get stepped on.

We make it up the stairs without a major incident, only stumbling once or twice when Jason misjudged a step. When we reach the second floor landing Jason whispers in my ear, the smell of alcohol still strong on his breath.

"Are you mad at me Firecracker?" He asks, badly slurring his words.

"No Jason, why would I be mad at you?"

He pulls his arm off of my shoulders and backs away slightly, nearly falling backwards in the attempt. But he manages to steady himself, looking into my eyes (Or as close as someone in his state can get) as he speaks to me.

"W-well beCause III... TolD Qrow thAt I liEd to your dAd, and now he's gonna be mad AgAin, iM Sorwy." He leans in placing his head on my shoulder before pulling me into a tight hug. With our faces so close together the reek of alcohol becomes so bad I have to pull back, doing my best to give Jason a convincing smile as not to hurt his feelings.

"I'm not mad at you Jason, I promise. Now let's get you to bed, you'll feel better when you wake up….maybe." Jason nods and smiles his goofy smile, and the two of us walk the short distance down the hall to my room.

When we get there Gore runs past the two of us and hops up on the bed, lying down and making himself comfortable. With Jason still propped up on my shoulders, I walk over to the bed and pull back the covers, gesturing for Jason to sit down. Which he happily does, and I help him get his boots off. Next I pull his shirt over his head, throwing it over to the corner of the room to be dealt with later. Now in bed and fully free of his boots and shirt, I can almost see the wave of fatigue wash over him as lays himself down on the bed and pulls up the covers. Barely getting his feet under the blankets before his eyes begin to close.

"See you... In the morning Firecracker, love you…" His words trail off and before long his breathing slows as he relaxes into a deep sleep. I stand there for a few more minutes watching over him before leaving to head back down stairs. Planting a soft kiss on his forehead before leaving him and Gore to their rest.

I quietly make my way out of the room, backing out into the hallway. Only to be surprised by my uncle standing right behind me.

"Jesus Christ Qrow! You scared the crap out of me…. What do you want?"

He holds up and takes a quick swig from his flask, before lowering it with a smirk. "Your dads in the livingroom, he wants to talk to you."

I let out an annoyed sigh and nod, following my drunken uncle back down stairs. I can see my dad sitting in his recliner, following the two of us with his eyes as we walk towards him. He doesn't speak until Qrow and I are both seated on the couch.

"So Qrow says you have something to tell me Yang?" His voice is perfectly calm and even, so much so that if you didn't already know him you'd think nothing was wrong. But I know this tone of voice, I'm in it deep.

"I'm sure he's already told you, so why bother wasting time having me explain it again?" I glare at my uncle who simply shrugs.

"It doesn't matter what Qrow told me, I want to hear it from you." Again his voice is calm yet forceful, politely demanding and answer.

With a sigh of defeat I start to explain. "Well in short, I lied to you. And when you found out and called me on it Jason stepped in and took the heat for me. He felt bad about me getting in trouble for helping him. So he told you it was his idea."

He nods, leaving silence to fill the void before it's broken again by my uncle's drunken chuckling.

"What did I tell you Tai, he's a nice kid but not the brightest."

"QUITE QROW!... Yang, why didn't you tell me and of this sooner? I mean I would've still been mad, but at least I would have been mad at the right person."

I risk a small laugh, a slight smile on my face as I speak again.

"So does this mean you still hate Jason, or just me?" I make an effort to sound upbeat and joking, even with how terrible I'm on the inside. I lied to my dad, and made Jason feel guilty for needing my help. Things couldn't have gone much worse.

My dad stands up from his recliner with a smile on his face, I take the cue and stand up too and he pulls me into a tight hug.

" I don't hate either of you, my sunny little dragon. I still can't say I'm fond of Jason though, but that's only because I don't think he's good enough for my little girl. Who by the way is still in a heap of trouble, in case you were wondering."

I break from our hug and take a step back, rolling my eyes. "Trust me I haven't forgotten. What's my punishment going to be?"

He sits himself back down in his recliner, stroking his chin. Contemplating. " I haven't decided yet… I'll let you know when I come up with something. But for now, Just give me your scroll. Consider this part one."

I nod, and reluctantly hand over my scroll. Which my dad takes and tucks into his breast pocket.

"You're free to go for now, dinner is in an hour or so. I want this to be a family dinner so make sure you and Jason are both there, he may not be my favorite person but he still counts as family now. Speaking of which… Where is Jason? I haven't seen him since he and Qrow left. I wanna have another talk with him to make sure we understand each other."

Confused I glance over at my uncle who I notice looks extremely nervous, shaking his head frantically from side to side.

Seeing my opportunity to get a small amount of revenge I smirk. "Oh, uncle Qrow didn't tell you what happened? You should really ask him about it, he tells the story better. In the meantime I have some things I need to go take care of… Bye!" Quickly I stand up from the couch and make a dash for the stairs.

 _ **Have fun explaining that one Qrow.**_

As I'm about half way upstairs I can hear my dad's voice at full volume. "YOU DID WHAT!?"

I can't stop myself and bust out laughing as I reach the second floor. Only stopping when I reach my room as not to wake Jason.

I open the door, propping it open with a pair of shoes and step inside. Gore lifts his head from the pillow to see who entered, and when he sees me he hops down from the bed to say hello. I take a seat in my chair beside the bed, Gore follows and rests his head on my knee so I can scratch his ears. Jason is still out cold, snoring softly so I sit and pet Gore for a while contemplating if I should wake him for dinner or not. On one hand getting some food in his stomach might help lessen the effects of the alcohol. While on the other waking him may do more harm than the food would do good, and eventually I decide it's best to leave him to sleep. He'll just eat more in the morning anyway to make up for it.

I sit quietly for a while before a knock on the door grabs my attention. I turn to see Ruby standing in the doorway with Weiss beside her.

"Hey sis, Ice Queen. Whats up?" Ruby smiles and Weiss glares at their respective titles, but Ruby is the one who speaks.

"Hey Yang! Dad wanted me to tell you to get ready for dinner, and that Jason is excused… What happened by the way?"

I sigh. "It's a long story Ruby. best not to worry about it. He's fine. How goes things with you two?"

I can almost see Ruby's smile get brighter at the question.

"Pretty good! Weiss and I had a sparring match the day before you guys got here, then we went shopping with uncle Qrow. Now we're just kinda hanging out, I've been introducing Weiss to some of my favorite shows. You'd be amazed how many awesome things she's never heard of. Like before I showed it to her she'd never even heard a single Achievemen song, can you believe that?"

Weiss rolls her eyes, obviously annoyed.

"Hey it's not like I ever had a lot of freetime when I was younger, all my time was spent studying or taking lesson of some kind. I never really got to have fun."

"Hey I never said it was a bad thing Weiss, it's just surprising that's all… Anyway, Yang you should probably come downstairs with us. You don't want to keep dad waiting."

I stand up from my chair and Gore hops back up on the bed with Jason.

"Yeah your probably right, I'm on thin ice already as it is…"


End file.
